Exorcisms
by markergal
Summary: Life is full of demons, some more dangerous than others. It just so happened that she wanted to help free him of his, assuming that he'd help her exorcise a few of her own along the way. Bruce/OC with some Natasha/Clint thrown in. Part 1 completed. Part 2 in progress
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! So I've just recently fell head over heels in love with the Marvel universe, and I couldn't resist writing something for it. Also, if any of you happen to be readers of my Dangerous Magic fanfiction, I've put that on hold until further notice.**

 **This is a Bruce/oc, but there will be a lot of cute Avenger family moments that I can't wait to share with you guys!**

* * *

She wondered if this time she would die.

Without any fear for the black void beneath her, Saniya skipped off the highest bridge in New York City.

The air pushed against her body, like a friend desperate to place her on solid ground. Waves rushed closer and closer, eagerly waiting to swallow her whole. Death seemed inevitable, but then she felt the familiar tug in her chest.

Suddenly, time flowed in the other direction. Falling simply turned into flying. In the exact amount of time it took her to drop, she was standing on the edge of the Verrazano Bridge. Not a second had passed. Saniya smiled and took out a marker from her back pocket. She tallied a line on her wrist.

This was the twelfth time that she had survived.

The first time she discovered her trick —as she endearingly called it— was an accident.

The second time was absolutely on purpose, just to see if she could do it again.

Same with the third, fourth, fifth... all the way to her twelfth time.

Oh, how her parents would be ashamed if they knew what she was doing. They would scold her for being so reckless and willing to throw her life away for a thrill. Or, more likely, they wouldn't care whether she fell into the river or popped back up to the bridge.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, begging Saniya for more. One more jump. Who was she to deny it? A small giggle escaped her lips before Saniya leaped off the bridge. Exactly five seconds later, everything reverted back to its original state. It was like she hadn't even jumped in the first place.

Thirteen.

She frowned. Thirteen was an unlucky number. Might as well jump one last time to make it even.

Saniya back flipped this time. She watched the stars as she fell. Everything was much clearer on top of the bridge.

There was a tug, plop back on the metal, then the comforting feel of the marker writing the fourteenth tally mark.

She considered climbing off the bridge, but then she remembered how horrible it was down below. Saniya was completely broke, her parents had ostracized her, and she was living in a shelter with complete strangers. Life wasn't the best for her at that moment, but there were better things to do than sitting there feeling sorry for herself.

Like jumping off bridges.

Saniya almost died for the fifteenth time.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So... maybe posting a chapter before I go on a vacation to Costa Rica wasn't the best idea, but I'm back! Don't worry, I will be working quickly on the next update. And thank all of you who favorited/followed/reviewed my story! Thanks!**

 **Nik1804: I'm glad you think so :) Another update will be coming soon**

 **ColorfulBreese: Thank you! :)**

 **OurFerrisWheel: I'm glad you did!**

* * *

 **Five Years Later — Three** **Months** **after the** **Battle** **of New York**

" _Mr. Stark, what are the Avenger's future plans?"_

 _There was a long pause. "Future plans? As in, for the future?"_

" _Yes, are they disbanded or are there plans for their involvement in other worldly affairs?"_

" _No comment."_

" _But Mr. Stark, this is important information for the public to know. If you could just tell—"_

" _Janice, may I call you Janice?" Tony Stark interrupted. "Trust me, there isn't anyone else here who wants to tell the public what the Avengers are doing more than me. The reason I said 'no comment' is because that isn't my information to share."_

" _Why not? Is the government preventing you from speaking out?"_

" _No comment."_

 _The interviewer hid a scowl. "That brings me to my next question, who exactly do the Avengers work for?"_

 _There was a muffled crinkle from the sound of Tony messing with his microphone. "No comment. Now, if you want to speak with me about_ my company _, then I will be more than willing to stay. But if all you want to ask me about is the Avengers, then you're going to have a very boring interview."_

 _Janice Vernon started to remove the microphone from her cardigan. "Then I'm afraid that we will have to cut this short. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Stark." Though, she didn't sound very grateful._

 _He smirked. "Anytime."_

Fury paused the video. His fingers skimmed over the files with the confidentiality agreements.

"Agent Hill?"

Maria stood at attention from the corner of the room. The director took note that her posture was stiffer than usual.

"Tell Mr. Stark that he is not allowed to participate in interviews or answer unsolicited questions until given further notice," Fury commanded. "In fact, keep him entirely out of the public eye until I give the word."

She almost smiled at what she knew was coming. "He won't like that. Mr. Stark adores the attention."

Fury winced. Of course, Tony was not going to like being put on house arrest. The billionaire had enough brain cells to keep silent about the Avengers program, but not enough to divert the public away from the subject entirely. Just his presence was enough to bring up the topic.

"We need to keep this situation under control. I don't give a damn whether he likes it or not. Just keep him silent in any way possible."

"Understood." Maria took a stack of papers out of her arms and handed it to Fury. "Sir, our analysts have detected a strong pulse of energy from outside New York City. The heat signatures are similar to New Mexico. They believe that Thor has returned from Asgard and is wandering New York."

He placed his hands on the table to steady himself. Thor left with Loki right after the invasion with no indication of ever returning. The Asgardian was not part of the director's post-invasion containment plan. In fact, he had barely thought about the god at all. But now that Thor was back, SHIELD would have to act fast.

Fury glanced one last time at the sheets of data. "Send two agents out to bring him back to the nearest base."

"Yes, director."

When Agent Hill left the room, Fury ran a hand down his face. Thor was just one more problem to take care of.

* * *

"Does it speak the truth?" a loud voice bellowed throughout the restaurant. The few customers that were there looked up from their breakfasts. Groggy businessmen and women glared at the intruder who dared to disturb their morning peace.

Saniya glanced towards the entrance. A very large man in stiff, mismatched clothing towered over the restaurant. His blonde hair reached the shoulders of his gray t-shirt. In his right hand was a hammer. Not a regular hammer, though, like one someone could buy at a hardware store. Instead, it was essentially a large block of metal attached to a stick.

"Or does your sign bear false witness? I must know if this is truly New York's Best!" the man continued. He placed his hands on his hips. He reminded her of Superman.

Dorie smacked her bubblegum around in her teeth. "I took care of the last bit of crazy, it's your turn." Her co-worker hopped down from the counter and trudged into the kitchen. Dorie wasn't going to be much help, but Saniya expected as much. All of the responsibility fell on her.

One of the downfalls of working in the weirder part of New York was that she had the pleasure to deal with a lot of different types of people. Many times it was fascinating when she learned things the average citizen wouldn't know: like when a man who owned a local chop shop taught her how to disassemble a car in less than fifteen minutes. But then there were the odd ones who made Saniya question why she bothered to come to work in the first place. She prayed to any god that was listening that this man wasn't one of those people.

"Hey, sir?" she called out.

The man's eyes fell onto her. He smiled. His grin was adorable, like a teddybear's. "Midgardian women are always so wise; surely you will know whether or not this establishment is New York's Best."

Saniya's grin fell slightly. _Was Midgardian an insult?_ But he also called her wise, so she assumed it wasn't the worst thing to be called.

"Umm... this restaurant is a seat yourself. Please find a table and I will be right with you," she said after ignoring his weird comment.

He nodded, looking sheepish. "I apologize. Of the few Midgardian restaurants I have been blessed to enter, I had been in the company of those who are well versed in your dining etiquette and had not needed to seat myself."

Her eyebrows flew up at his eloquent, almost confusing language. It was like he was from the middle ages. But considering the alien invasion several months ago, Saniya would not be surprised if that was the case. Whether he was an alien or an attractive time traveler, at least he was polite, and that made him alright in her book.

She grabbed a menu from the counter. The man had taken a seat by the window. He stared out the glass with child-like fascination. Even though the window was filthy —Dorie forgot to clean it yesterday and Saniya was not going to do her co-worker's chores— he pressed his face against the glass.

Saniya dropped the menu in front of him. His attention quickly directed itself towards her, his bright eyes lighting up his entire face.

She pointed towards her name tag. "My name is Saniya, is there anything I can get you to drink?"

He smiled. "Hello, Lady Saniya. My name is Thor."

For a second, she dared to deviate from her rehearsed lines. "Thor? Like that one Avenger?" She bit her lip. "Or was his name Loki? I... can't remember which."

Thor's smile dipped down into a deep, concerned frown. "It has been a few months since the battle of New York, has it not?"

"Almost three."

"And you are not familiar with the brave individuals who fought off the Chitauri invasion?"

She shrugged. "How can I be? None of them have come out of their tower since the battle. Except for Stark, but he never answers any questions." Saniya smacked her fists together. "This is what I've been talking about! They haven't done one single interview or anything and we don't even—"

From the back of the restaurant, Dorie smacked her gum. "Hey! You're gonna scare off the customers with your rantings, ya lunatic," she warned. Dorie turned back to the customer trying to shove a credit card into her hand. Saniya blushed, but she blessed her parents for their brown skin that masked the redness well.

Thor placed his hand on the menu. His forehead creased. "I once again apologize. I did not realize that this subject, what do they say, "touchy" for you."

She waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm this way about a lot of things. So, drinks?"

His eyes dropped to the menu. "I am not familiar with Midgardian refreshments."

"No problem. List of everything is down here." He followed her finger to the bottom.

Thor read the list of drinks quickly. His eyes slowly widened when he came upon one word. He stared up at her with wonder, as if she was an angel coming down from heaven. "What is the chocolate milk this menu speaks of? Do you have cows that naturally produce milk with chocolate flavoring?"

Her eyes flickered between Dorie and Thor. She wondered how much crap she would get if she begged Dorie to switch customers with her. "No," she said slowly, "but we have milk in the back and some chocolate syrup. Is that what you want?"

He slammed his fist on the table. Everything rattled from the impact. "I would love to try this milk of chocolate!" Thor snuck a peek at the menu. "And some of your finest waffles, if I may."

Saniya winked. "Coming right up, doll."

Thor blinked twice, then looked down at himself. He scanned his body with confusion. Saniya left before anymore weirdness could come out of his mouth. She placed the order with the cook and stirred Thor's chocolate milk behind the counter.

The last few groups of customers left —other than Thor— and Dorie took her usual place by Saniya behind the counter. She offered Saniya a piece of mint gum.

"Is he as weird as I think he is?" Dorie thought aloud. The gum noisily collided with her teeth.

She shrugged. "He talks really weird, but he's not rude."

Dorie smirked. "Not rude _and_ hot? Damn, I don't care if he's crazy; he sounds like my kind of guy."

The corner of Saniya's mouth curved downwards. "I don't think he knows what chocolate milk is and looks really confused about everything," she commented, "so I'm not sure if he's dumb or really sheltered."

Her co-worker tilted her head. "Huh." She watched on as Thor thoroughly examined a napkin dispenser. "I'm betting on sheltered."

Saniya rolled her eyes but didn't make any further comments. When the milk was good and perfect, she hurried towards Thor's table. The huge man lit up at the sight of the drink in her hand. He took the glass from her hands. But before he took a gulp, he placed a hand on her arm.

"Lady Saniya, before I partake in this Midgardian beverage, I feel that I must clear up a misunderstanding," Thor said, each word dripping with genuine worry.

She tried to pry his fingers off her arm. "What's the misunderstanding?"

"You referred to me as a 'doll', but I can assure you that I am indeed not one. I am, in fact, a man and not a toy that small children play with."

A small giggle escaped her lips. He looked surprised to hear her laugh at a topic he considered serious. "That's just something I sometimes call people while serving food" Saniya raised an eyebrow. "Did you seriously think that I thought you were an actual doll?"

He closed his mouth and paused for several seconds. She could see his mind swirling with thoughts. Thor grinned. "I apologize once again, Lady Saniya. I am far from an expert on Midgardian jargon."

Saniya shook her head with amusement. He was definitely one of the odder customers, but she decided that she enjoyed his company. "It's _fine_." She gestured back to the kitchen. "I'll check to see how your waffles are coming along while you enjoy your drink."

Several minutes of spying on Thor from behind the counter with Dorie later, the waffles were ready to be served. Saniya carefully avoided the chairs and lopsided tables until she reached Thor. She placed the plate in front of him. The waffles were coated in thick syrup with whipped cream on top.

Thor chugged the last of his chocolate milk. Before she could react or say anything, he smashed the glass on the floor next to her. Small shards bounced off the tile, some even going as far as the counter. The glass crashed onto her feet, leaving long scratches in her skin. Saniya cursed the fact that she decided to wear sandals that morning. Her feet were going to hurt for the rest of the day.

"Another!" Thor yelled with a grin. His eyes wandered to the floor and his face shattered like the glass. "Lady Saniya! You are hurt!"

On instinct, there was a tug in her chest and everything moved in reverse. The glass flew out of her skin and back into a musty cup. The cells in her skin repaired themselves to perfection. Once again, the plate was back in her hand and ready to be served. The only evidence of what happened was the phantom sting in her feet.

Saniya placed the dish in front of the man. This time she was ready. Thor raised his arm to smash the empty glass on the ground. The second it left his fingers, she caught it.

She narrowed her eyes. "Do not break our cups please," Saniya clipped.

Thor's eyes were wide and innocent. "I do not understand."

 _How could he not understand?_ Suddenly, she was back to not liking him. "You do not throw cups in restaurants. Where are you from, anyways?" she snapped.

His eyes glazed over. Thor looked like he was in another world. "Somewhere far from this realm." Then, he was back. "But isn't the throwing of empty glasses a sign of respect and a need for refill? I thought that was the Midgardian way."

Saniya's eye twitched. "There is nowhere on this earth where that is okay. That's so stupid."

Thor's mouth formed a small, surprise, 'o'. A small tint of pink lit up his cheeks. The poor man was utterly embarrassed. To save him the work of finding the right words to say, Saniya told him that she would bring the check when he was done with his meal. Dorie stared at her questionably when she slammed the glass on the counter and began to rub her feet. She could still feel the shards despite there being nothing embedded in her skin.

Neither woman noticed when Thor left with two men in suits and guns on their waists.

* * *

Thor sat in the back of the car. One SHIELD agent sat to his right while the other drove. They stared forward, not once sparing the god a glance. He didn't like how serious they were. It was odd to him. Even the warriors on Asgard were less stoic than these agents.

The time away from Midgard had made him anxious to return. And when he did, he was not disappointed with the brilliance of the human race. The Midgardians had demonstrated their resilience: they had rebuilt New York and life seemed to go on as before. While Thor had a sneaking suspicion that the people of Midgard did not have all the facts, based on Saniya's outburst earlier at his name, he was impressed by their calm reaction to the presence of other realms.

Thor had a growing admiration for Midgard and its people. It started with the lovely Jane Foster and only continued to grow until it became a second home to him. And now that he was back, Thor planned on staying for half a year this time. His father was not entirely pleased with his decision, but Odin allowed him to leave. Thor was thankful and determined to cherish every second the way he wanted to.

After he cleared up whatever issues he had with SHIELD, he would make a formal apology to Saniya... again. He felt that he had disrespected her and the restaurant with his foolish actions. Plus, he still had to find out if it was truly New York's Best. If he did not find out the answer, he knew it would be a question that would haunt him for years. Then, he would find Jane and spend the rest of his time with her. He hadn't told her how long he would be in Asgard and was planning to surprise her. Thor was very excited.

But first, he needed to find out how to properly apologize to the woman he had wronged.

"How do the men on Midgard apologize to the women for their wrongdoings?" Thor asked the agents.

The driver shrugged. "Depends on how bad you messed up," he told the god.

Thor took that into consideration. "I feel that I truly wronged her and I wish to make a formal apology. How do I do that in a traditional Midgardian way?"

"Flowers usually help," the agent on his right commented. He looked up at Thor. "But I'm gay, so if you're trying to apologize to your girlfriend, you're asking the person with the least experience."

The agent in the front seat nodded his head. "You're right with the flowers. A nice bouquet is good and maybe take her out for lunch or something. That's what I do with my wife, but we don't really fight."

The car pulled up to the military base. A guard in a building opened the gate so that the vehicle could pull through. The appeared quiet on the outside but was buzzing with activity through the numerous tunnels and hallways inside. Thor had no way of knowing how large the or how populated the building was from a first glance.

The agent stopped the car in front of the door. He didn't bother turning around when speaking to him. "Fury is waiting for you. Agent Hill will guide you to him."

Thor nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate your help. I do hope we cross paths again."

He exited the car. It sped off the second his feet hit the pavement. Immediately, Maria Hill greeted him in the doorway. She led him in silence. With each step, Thor was becoming more hesitant in meeting Fury. He would have preferred to have some sort of indication of why he was meeting with the director. If Fury had concerns with Loki, Thor was prepared to put those worries to rest, but that issue was resolved months ago. Whatever it was, he hoped it would not keep him in New York for more than a few days.

Maria Hill greeted him in the doorway with a short nod. She led him in silence.

With each step, Thor was becoming more hesitant in meeting Fury. He would have preferred to have some sort of indication of why he was meeting with the director. If Fury had concerns with Loki, Thor was prepared to put those to rest. He raked his mind for any other reasons they were meeting for. He hoped there wasn't another devestating threat to Midgard. Or at least, he wanted to see Jane first.

Agent Hill opened the conference room door. Fury sat in a chair with several paper contracts in front of him.

Fury stood up. "Thor, welcome back to earth."

The god looked between Maria and Fury. "I am glad to have returned."

Director Fury moved from behind the table to right in front of Thor. He held out the contracts. Thor skimmed the words, reading things like 'Avengers program' and 'required confidentiality'.

He tapped his fingers on the contracts. "What is the meaning of this?"

Fury crossed his arms. "This is to make sure you don't go to the nearest journalist and tell them everything you know about the Avengers." Thor's eyebrows came together. "I know what you're thinking, but the general populace isn't ready to know about the battle. We need to keep everything contained. It's on a need-to-know basis only."

Thor shook his head. "That isn't for you to decide. All Midgardians have the right to know their heroes and about the battle. I do not—"

"There's a lot of things you don't know, Thor. If there comes a time where it's necessary, the public will be told. This contract," Fury pointed at the first sheet, "ensures that you will help the information stays contained. The other contract was drawn up this morning when I was notified of your presence."

Thor flipped the sheet over. "Why must I sign it?"

"It keeps you in New York, or at least under SHIELD supervision until certain issues are resolved."

The god shoved the contracts back to Fury. "I do not plan to stay in New York for long. There are other places on Midgard I wish to be."

Fury raised an eyebrow. "Like with Jane Foster?"

Thor sniffed. "Perhaps. Paper cannot stop me. I am not bound by Midgardian laws."

The director squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers "I am aware of that. I can't force you by law to honor these contracts, but it is a promise you are making to SHIELD if you sign these." Thor stiffened. "I am not asking you to stay just for the hell of it. Things are happening; things that we need help handling. The Avengers are reassembling."

Thor still wasn't convinced. Fury motioned towards a screen. Pictures and data rushed up to the screen. The god examined it with narrowed eyes. His face slowly fell into shock. Thor wasn't completely sure if what he saw was true or a hallucination. He had never seen anything quite like it in all his years.

The god wanted to say no, but he couldn't find himself able to. "I... I will stay until this is fixed. But after that, I will leave on my own accord," Thor said, half frozen from what he saw.

"I expected as much." Fury gave Thor a pen. "Sign here."


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for simply reading my story! I have a lot more coming that I'm excited to share with you guys.**

 **Nik1804: I'm glad you liked it and I hope you like this update too :)**

* * *

"Gum?"

Saniya shook her head and Dorie drew her hand back. Her co-worker took out a piece and smacked it against her teeth.

"Just let me find my phone and we'll leave. I always lose that stupid thing right when I need it." Dorie ran into the kitchen, no doubt to search for her cheap phone behind the piles of stolen library books. Saniya took a seat in a spot that wasn't covered in tattered literature.

She and Dorie weren't exceptionally close, but Saniya knew that she could figure out what was going through the woman's head based on the type of books she was reading. The pile with the least dust was psychology and mental disorder textbooks; books that may have belonged to the nearest university. These were definitely not Dorie's normal reading material, as she preferred books that 'didn't bore her to death'. But since Dorie was always soaking up pages like a sponge, Saniya should be proud that it was something educational instead of another mystery novel.

Normally being well-read and intelligent skipped hand in hand. Dorie was smart in the sense that she could recall an entire book word for word at a drop of a hat, but not in the academic sense. Apparently a photogenic memory did not automatically equal genius. She had flunked out of high school and failed to earn her GED several times. Dorie had to ask for help in adding up the tips and couldn't name the first five presidents if she wanted to. But if Saniya wanted to know what the third customer last Saturday ate for breakfast, Dorie would remember in a second.

If Dorie put her mind and a little more effort into it, Saniya knew that she had the potential of being the smartest person in New York. Maybe as smart as Tony Stark. That woman with a college degree would be downright dangerous in the best kind of way.

There was a loud pop of a bubble and Dorie showed up two seconds later. "Ready?" she asked.

Saniya tried to rub the dark circles away from her eyes. "Ready enough." She forced open the apartment door. The wooden frame threatened to crack apart. "Do you think today's the day that boss will hire someone else to help out?"

Dorie snorted. "No. It's cheaper to have two waitresses working for reasonable pay with unreasonable hours than three."

Their feet hit the sidewalk pavement. The two women made a wide turn around an alley that was the block's illegal dump and kept their eyes towards the ground as they passed two smokers leaning against a brick wall.

Saniya cleared her throat once they were past the men. "Maybe I can put up a sign and find someone so good that he will have to hire them."

Dorie shrugged. "Go ahead, but I won't cover your ass when he chews you out for it." She kicked her shoe at an imaginary pebble. "Saniya?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

Saniya nearly stopped in shock at those words. Dorie was not the type of person to willingly give or accept help. Saniya wasn't much either, so she appreciated the effort it took to ask.

She played off her surprise as a shrug. "Sure, I guess. Depends on how big the favor is."

The gum smacked in Dorie's mouth, faster this time. "I know he has you closing up again tonight, and I was wondering if I could wait behind until you finish. We should walk back together. We live on the same block and do this every morning, anyways."

The favor wasn't anything Saniya couldn't manage. It was more of an inconvenience for Dorie than her. "That sounds fine. There had been more muggings lately, so I think we should just do that every night," she reasoned. Dorie blew out a deep breath. Saniya frowned. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

Her co-worker fumbled to unlock the restaurant door. "Probably just someone messing with me," she muttered.

Saniya's dark eyebrows drew together. It must've been a big enough deal to break their daily routine, but Dorie would not like her commenting on that. So she just nodded and kept her worry bubbling underneath. "Okay. But remember, we're teammates." She playfully punched Dorie's shoulder. "You can count on me."

Dorie rolled her eyes. "You're so cheesy." She kicked the door in the 'sweet spot'. It flung open, rattling against the frame.

"It's true, though."

Dorie stood still for several moments. She bit the inside of her mouth. "Thank you," she said so quietly that Saniya almost didn't catch it. "Now, let's get to work."

* * *

The morning trudged along at a pace slower than a snail's. The breakfast rush wasn't much of a rush, even for them. Dorie abandoned Saniya two hours after opening in favor of her new passion: psychology. She was curled up behind the counter with her nose in the textbook. Occasionally she wrinkled her nose, then flipped back a couple pages. But the turning of paper was always a constant, no matter which direction she was going.

Saniya swung her feet back and forth while she sat on the edge of the counter, right above her co-worker's head. She was silently begging each passing person to come into the restaurant, just so she could have something to do. Saniya considered jumping off the roof to pass the time, but she remembered how much trouble she got in after her boss caught her picking the lock on the roof door. No, she was not going to go through that again. Her fingers unconsciously passed over the tally mark from yesterday. Maybe she could break more glass over her foot. That seemed like a more appealing idea than doing nothing.

The door chimed. Saniya was immediately on her feet. Standing in the doorway was Thor, in the same outfit as yesterday, carrying a bouquet of roses. He lumbered towards her with the biggest smile.

"Oh, crap," she whispered in horror. Dorie didn't even look up.

So many things ran through her mind. Was he stalking her? Did he fall in love with her and that's why he bought her flowers? God, she hoped that wasn't the case. Thor was an attractive man, but not the type of guy she wanted as a boyfriend. If he was here to ask her out, she vowed to let him down with all the kindness buried in her bones. Thor was respectful enough for her to crush his heart as softly as she could.

He looked like a crier. Saniya did not want to make him cry.

"Hello, Lady Saniya," he greeted.

She tilted her head up at what felt like a ninety-degree angle. "Hello... Thor, right?"

He bobbed his head. Thor handed her the bouquet, which she quickly set on the counter. "I came to explain and apologize for my actions."

"Lady Darcy once mentioned that Midgardians all across the land have different cultures, and it was ignorant of me to think otherwise." He slapped a hand on her shoulder. All of her bones rattled like a xylophone. "As an official, complete apology for all of my past and future misdoings, I wish to give you these flowers and offer to pay for a lunch of your choosing." His blonde eyebrows furrowed. "I do not know many dining options in this city you call New York, so I was hoping we would dine here."

Her stomach rumbled. Lunch would be nice. Plus, there wasn't much risk eating here with a man she barely knew, not with so many witnesses. Dorie was here to watch out for her and hopefully the lunch rush would be coming soon.

"You're paying, right?" she clarified.

His face lit up at what he perceived as a yes. Thor nodded.

"And," she hesitated, "this isn't a date."

He frowned. "I do not know what a date is, but I assure you my advances are platonic."

Saniya felt a tension leave her shoulders. That was all she needed to hear.

* * *

Saniya stuffed a piece of bacon in her mouth. The man before her stared with admiration.

"You have an appetite of a warrior," he proclaimed.

A smile graced her lips. Once again, Thor was growing on her. Saniya shrugged. "I don't usually have lunch and all I had was an apple for breakfast."

He swished chocolate milk around his mouth in thought. Thor swallowed loudly. "And... you mortals need much more food than that, correct?"

"Correct."

"Then why do you not eat more food? I understand that it is unhealthy for one to not have enough nutrition."

Her cheeks threatened to set themselves on fire. Saniya casually stabbed her pancake. "It's because I am almost falling below the poverty line. The stupid alien invasion made everything super expensive here! The city needs to milk all the money out of us to rebuild the precious buildings that I'll never set foot in," she ranted, her voice getting louder and louder. "My rent for my crappy apartment shot sky-high and I can't afford to eat three meals a day. God, I am such a failure at being an adult!" Her face fell into her hands.

Everything froze. Not literally, though she wished. Saniya considered going back in time and reversing her passionate outburst. It was embarrassing enough to get into one of her 'moods' in front of friends, but a stranger? The rant itself didn't mortify the woman —as she did that a lot about many different topics— but what embarrassed her was that with one question all of her economic woes spewed out of her mouth like a faucet. Thor didn't want to hear about her money problems, like most people, but she unleashed her baggage nonetheless.

Thor's eyes dropped to the table. Suddenly, he pulled out a wallet that looked like it was bought that day. His huge fingers removed two crisp hundred dollar bills and slid it into her palm. If her skin was pale like his, her face would be a tomato. Saniya was quick to shove the money back.

Thor blinked. "Lady Saniya, I am giving you this money to help you feed yourself," he stated.

She forced a grin. "I know, and that's really sweet, but I can take care of myself." Saniya gestured to her body. "I'm still alive, so I must be doing something right. Just forget I said anything."

His face screwed into a strange expression, as if thinking almost hurt. Thor rubbed the side of his neck. "If you do not want to take my money," he started slowly, "then I propose you dine with me every lunch." Saniya opened her mouth, but Thor must have sensed her about to decline his offer since he was quick to interrupt. "All my friends are away. My only companion here in New York cannot leave his home. You will be keeping me company while we feast on New York's Best."

The booth groaned as she shifted her weight. "I don't know."

Thor's face softened. "Let me help you. Allow me to do a small part in aiding those who were wronged by the Chitauri."

Saniya twisted her fingers together. All he was asking for was company during a meal, not proposing marriage. One should never turn down an opportunity for free food. "Okay," she conceded. Thor beamed and shouted for another round of waffles.

Little did Saniya know that her tendency towards potentially dangerous situations and Thor's deep-rooted desire to protect every living creature on Midgard would blossom a great friendship between the two. The next weeks were spent laughing in between bites of breakfast foods and talking about trivial facts, such as what was on television the night before or celebrity gossip. Each conversation was light hearted. Without Thor, she would not have been nearly as enthusiastic about going to work. It also helped that she got free food out of the deal.

It wasn't until three weeks and two days into their new relationship that they burst the thin layer between acquaintances and friends.

She generously poured syrup on her pancakes while keeping one eye on Thor. Something was bothering him. Thor had a far off look to his normally sharp eyes. His shoulders slumped somewhat and he was less energetic. This crumpled appearance was worse than normal. Saniya noticed his deteriorating energy from the first week, happening more and more as the days went on. The duty of speaking up fell to her.

"So, who's the lady?"

He looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "The lady?"

"Yeah, who's the lady that you're so in love with?" she asked. Saniya shrugged. "Or man." She shook her fork at him. "All I know is that someone stole your heart."

Thor ducked his head. "How did you know-?"

Saniya held back a snort. "You look exactly like I did after my first boyfriend moved away to Chicago: heartbroken." Her body unconsciously leaned forward, eager for information. "What's their name?"

His face turned wistful; he reminded her of an old man recalling fond memories. Thor's eyes brightened several shades of blue. "Her name is Jane Foster. She is the smartest and loveliest Midgardian I have ever met in all my years. I have not seen her in months though I hope to see her again soon."

She stared at him for several seconds. This was the first personal fact that Thor had shared with her. The confession instantly made their relationship feel more... intimate. Not in a romantic sense, of course. Thor was too much of a teddy bear for her to ever think of anything more than friends. But the newfound intimacy made their friendship more secure.

"I believe you will," she said after several moments.

Thor smiled at her. "I believe so too."

The last of the bacon found its way to her mouth. "Do you want to talk about her?"

He shook his head. "I cannot."

Saniya deflated under the rejection. But she shouldn't have expected anything in the first place. That was Thor's business, and the only person that needed to know about it was Thor.

He placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Talking about her will only make me miss her more. I thank you for the offer. You truly are a caring friend."

Thor's confession of a long-distance relationship with Jane Foster allowed the two to share more openly with each other. From then on, they talked about more and more personal matters. Saniya briefly described her time in the homeless shelter and aspirations of becoming a mechanic while Thor narrated stories of his childhood. They shared all the details they could while actively avoiding the topic of family. That was the one thing that neither wanted to talk about. Not once was it brought up, and both were happy with that.

Other than family, no subject was taboo. Though Thor actively skipped around certain subjects, most of the time he was open. Saniya noticed whenever he was thinking of a lie (he was terrible at lying; his voice was too high and his fingers twitched), but never called him out on it despite how obvious it was.

In return, Thor didn't force information out of her. He was naturally curious, but his mentality was the same. If Saniya didn't want to talk about something, he wasn't going to ask about it. Perhaps it was the mutual understanding that allowed them to get along so well.

Whatever it was, they were grateful for it.

* * *

Saniya peeled off her uniform top in favor for a white tank top. She used a stack of menus as a makeshift fan. Air conditioners were not perfect, so it was not surprising when it broke before closing yesterday. What was unexpected was their boss refusing to hire a repairman. He insisted on fixing it himself, but he needed more prodding than Dorie to do something, so no one expected it to be fixed for at least another three days.

Dorie placed a bag of ice on her forehead. "It's too hot to concentrate," she moaned. The woman threw her book to the ground.

Saniya was tempted to peek into the kitchen. "Do you think the cook skipped out on us?"

"I would. It's like ninety million degrees in the kitchen." Dorie turned over to her stomach. She unabashedly laid on the counter. Good thing no health inspectors were around to see. "You're from India, right?"

She stiffened. "My parents are. I was born here."

"This must be what it feels like to live there," Dorie complained.

Saniya gulped down a glass of lukewarm water. "I think it's more of a humid heat," she guessed. "This is just dry and hot."

The door chimed open. Neither woman needed to see who it was. Only one person came around this time like a loyal golden retriever. Saniya popped up and practically ran to the door. Thor was confused when she dragged him back outside.

"Bring back some more ice," Dorie requested. She held up her half-melted bag as evidence. Saniya called back that she would then rushed out the door.

Oddly enough, it was cooler outside than in the restaurant. She basked in the summer breeze. The sweat lifted off her body, leaving behind a cool and refreshed woman. Saniya could not wait for August to be over with.

She looped her arm around Thor's much larger one. "The restaurant is a sauna. We will die of heatstroke if we stay in there," Saniya explained.

Thor nodded. "Yes, it is best for Midgardians not to exert themselves." He glanced back at the door. "Shall we invite Lady Dorie to join us? She appeared quite warm."

Saniya shook her head. "Someone has to take care of the customers and she's taking her break after I get back. Dorie will be fine. Let's go get some lunch somewhere else for a change."

Thor glanced up and down the street. His eyebrows drew together. "I do not see any other dining establishments in the vicinity. Perhaps we should try our luck in New York's Best." His large hands reached for her arm.

Her dark hair flopped back into a ponytail. Saniya wiped her hands on her pants after touching her sweaty locks. "Don't worry, I know a cheap hot dog cart guy that gives out free ketchup. He's usually down two blocks on the corner," Saniya reassured. Thor still appeared somewhat stressed, which was understandable. They weren't in the nicest part of the city. "If someone tries to mess with us, I'll defend you."

That sparked something in his eyes. "As the stronger and the one with more experience in combat, that job will fall unto me. I, Thor Odinson, vow to protect you with my life."

She rolled her eyes. "You're always so dramatic."

They walked down the long stretch of sidewalk, side by side. Nobody paid them any attention. Even Thor, who was a walking skyscraper, didn't get any second glances or wide-eyed stares. And with him by her side, the usual cat-callers left Saniya alone, which she was immensely grateful for. Maybe she should walk with Thor more often.

Thor was less than amazed with the lack of attention. His eyes darted everywhere, maybe looking for hidden dangers. She didn't know. He walked with half of her hidden behind him.

Saniya paused when she passed a newspaper stand. One article caught her eye. The title stood out in bold letters: _The Meteorological Phenomena of the Century_. Below were several pictures of rain clouds with red puddles underneath. She vaguely remembered this being mentioned on the news last night. In Texas, it rained blood in part of the city. Scientists said that it was a compound that resembled blood, however, conspirators were quick to cry aliens and government cover-ups. She prayed that nothing like that would happen in NYC. They already had their fill of crazy.

"Thor, isn't this weird? Blood raining from the sky, imagine that." She pointed to the newspaper.

He blanched. His fingers twitched by his sides. "I know nothing about that," Thor declared.

She was used to Thor saying odd things, so she let it go.

When she spied the small cart in the distance, she pointed it out to Thor who proclaimed his doubt of such a small cart holding enough food to feed a city. There was a small line, but it was moving fast. Saniya dreaded the fact that she soon would be back in the boiling restaurant. This thought made her move her legs a little slower.

Suddenly Thor perked up. He almost jumped in the air with joy. "Bruce! My friend, Bruce! It is me. Thor!" Thor waved his hand wildly. The hammer attached to his belt loop shook with the rest of his body.

A man who was patiently waiting in line looked over. He squinted his eyes and stared at Thor in surprise. Bruce walked over to the two, gaze still on Thor. The top buttons of the man's shirt were unbuttoned to compensate for the hot summer day. The sleeves were also rolled up to his elbows. But other than that, he was still dressed in a nice shirt and pants. Poor guy must had been melting.

"Wow, I didn't recognize you in normal clothes," he commented.

"It is truly fortunate to see you here in such a large city." Thor flashed a toothy smile. "Friend Bruce, I was not told that you were back."

"I was flown in last minute by..." His eyes flashed to Saniya and the other people nearby. Bruce let his sentence drift off. Thor nodded with understanding. "From what I heard, Natasha and Clint are finishing up in Texas and will be back by the end of the week. Steve cut his road trip short soon after I was called in."

"I am glad!" he boomed. Several people turned around at the outburst. "I cannot wait to see my friends again. I have missed them all dearly." Thor smacked his hand down on Bruce's shoulder, probably in what meant to be a friendly tap. "I have also missed you, Bruce. Not just the others."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I've missed you too, big guy." Bruce tried to pry Thor's hand off his shoulder. He winced as Thor's grip never faltered and the 'big guy' was blissfully unaware of his friend's discomfort.

Saniya swayed on her feet. The small movement was enough to catch Thor's attention. He removed his hand from Bruce, who rolled his shoulder back and forth, and latched onto hers. Her knees almost gave away. That man was just too strong.

"This is Saniya. She has grown to be my friend as well," Thor introduced. Bruce's eyes roved over to her. For a second she could have sworn she saw suspicion, but it faded away to a friendly gaze.

She smiled with fake enthusiasm like she often did as a waitress. "It's nice to meet you."

The corners of his mouth lifted up in a small response. "It's nice to meet you too."

Saniya lightly slapped Thor on the chest. "I'm going to go buy some hot dogs while you two catch up."

As she got in line, she barely made out the words of Thor inviting Bruce to eat at New York's Best with them. A sharp pang —that could only be described as jealousy— stabbed through her. Thor was her friend, and now she had to fight for his attention.

Everything about her jealousy was wrong. She wasn't his owner. If Thor wanted to bring other people with him into their tradition, that was fine. He had that right, especially since he was paying for the meals.

Despite that, Saniya was not happy with Bruce. Not at all.


	4. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for reading more story! Feel free to leave me a review so I know how I'm doing :)**

 **Nik1804: I'm glad you liked it! And I am sooooo excited to write more about Bruce. There's going to be a lot more of him in the future.**

* * *

Dorie shut the restaurant door behind her. "We're all locked up," she announced.

Saniya was doubtful and had good reason to be "Did you follow the list this time?" She knew Dorie didn't because the list was perfectly folded between the candy bar and phone in her purse, but she was the kind of person to ask questions she knew the answers to.

"I don't need a dumb list to lock up correctly," Dorie scoffed. She took off down the street so Saniya had no other choice but to walk with her.

"You always forget stuff, though," she reminded her gently.

Suddenly her co-worker looked uncomfortable. "I don't forget anything. I just get distracted."

They walked in silence. Both women were too stubborn to tell the other what was bothering them, instead preferring a companionable silence which accurately described their entire relationship. Keeping quiet was much easier than talking. It was less difficult to stew in their own misery than explain it to someone else.

Dorie glanced over her shoulder. She had been doing that a lot. Saniya watched as her face slowly turned the same color as her white undershirt. Dorie ran a trembling hand through her hair. "Oh god, they're back."

Saniya turned her head. Down at the edge of the street were two men in dark clothing. The one on the left had sharp jaw lines visible from all the way at the end of the dark sidewalk. The other man had a babyface, or at least she guessed so based on the small detail she could make out in the dim streetlamps. But one physical attribute was clear: they were huge. Like, Thor huge.

"Back? Do you know those men?" she questioned.

Dorie shook her head. "No... well, yes. I mean, all I know is that they used to follow me home at night. They stopped ever since I started walking with you, but now they're back."

Saniya didn't want to push aside Dorie's worries, but she couldn't help but be a little skeptical. "Are you sure they are following us? Maybe they live in the same apartment complex as you."

Dorie picked up her pace. The two men began to walk faster as well. Saniya's heart jumped in her chest.

"I'm absolutely sure they're following us," she whimpered. "Sometimes they sit right under my window, just looking inside. They've even stood right in front of my door." Dorie clenched her fists. "They know where I live, Saniya!"

Now that was creepy. Her heart ached for Dorie. The woman was petrified. Saniya would be too if strange men followed her home at night. It was even more terrifying that they knew where she lived. Dorie was alone, just like Saniya, so the looming threat of the men was taken seriously.

Saniya took out her phone from her purse. "I'm calling the police."

Dorie nodded in a defeated sort of way.

She contemplated whether to dial 9-1-1 or the non-emergency line. While they weren't exactly in immediate danger —the men were not attacking or trying to confront them— she feared what would happen if help didn't come fast. Saniya called 9-1-1. It was better safe than sorry.

A second later, her phone buzzed as the call refused to go through. She viciously shook the piece of plastic then dialed a second time. The call failed again. Saniya could've sworn it worked that afternoon.

Plan B was to take out the pepper spray hidden underneath crumpled tissues and receipts.

She snuck a glance at Dorie. Her hands were trembling, but her jaw was set with fake confidence.

"Don't look back," Saniya advised. "Just keep walking until we get to your apartment. We need to stay calm."

Dorie gulped but nodded.

All the bravery Saniya had dissolved when the men yelled 'Hey!'. She and Dorie broke out into a sprint, resembling spooked horses during a thunderstorm. Something in her registered that the men were not chasing after them, but her brain was locked in panic mode. In a matter of seconds, they were dashing up the stairs of the apartment building. Dorie unlocked her door in record time. Saniya slammed the door shut, deadlocked it, then leaned against it for good measure.

So much for keeping calm.

She placed a steadying hand on her chest. "Do you want to come live with me for a little bit?"

"Yes, I really do," Dorie gasped out.

Both women jumped when someone knocked on the door. Saniya braved a peek through the peephole. On the other side of the door was a red-haired man wearing nothing but pajama pants and slippers. It had to be one of the neighbors. They weren't exactly quiet during their panic episode and it was almost midnight.

She figured it was safe enough to open the door for him.

Dorie stepped into the doorway. The light in her apartment hollowed out her cheeks and her frazzled hair gave her the appearance of a ghost. "Christopher?"

He gave her a heart-melting smile, but neither Saniya or Dorie noticed due to their blood still pumping at a million miles per hour. "Are you alright? Did something happen out here?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Everything's fine." Dorie moved to slam the door in his face, but his arm kept it open.

Christopher stared at Saniya. His green eyes narrowed slightly and his forehead creased in concentration. "Who are you?"

"Saniya. I work with Dorie."

Christopher held out his hand. Saniya shook it. "My name is Christopher O'Neill." He looked up and down the hallway. "You don't happen to live around here, right? I don't remember ever seeing you. But then again, I've only been here a couple weeks."

She shook her head. "Not in this building."

"Which one?"

Saniya faltered to answer a simple question. Christopher hadn't said anything wrong or super creepy, but all his words felt slimy. There was something off about him. There also were no facts to support the odd vibes, so she felt like she couldn't avoid answering him without feeling somewhat guilty.

"Just down the block a little ways," she answered. Saniya moved to close the door. "It was nice to meet you."

Christopher smiled. "You too. I hope I see you around, Saniya."

The door slammed shut without a response. Dorie quietly said something about setting up a place for her to sleep on the couch. Saniya made herself at home and brewed a new batch of coffee. After what just happened, neither of them were in the mood for sleep.

* * *

Paranoia was a virus and she just caught it from none other than Dorie Hughes. As she made the walk from Dorie's apartment back to hers for a clean uniform, she found herself looking over her shoulder and keeping one hand in her bag, ready to use the pepper spray at a moment's notice. With each step, she was on the look out for two large men.

Saniya was not proud to admit how freaked out she was. When she was passing over a small bridge, a cat ran past and her instincts kicked in. It wasn't until she was halfway to the water that she realized that there wasn't any danger. The cat passed her a second time, and it still startled her as much as the first.

And the funny thing was that the men weren't even stalking her. That alone should have calmed her nerves a little, but her mind went to dark places. The terrified child imprisoned in her cranium cried out that they memorized her face and they would stalk her because of her association with Dorie. The logical part of her brain didn't help when it agreed with the second suggestion. Stalkers did crazy things to get to their... object of obsession. Was it so far fetched to assume they would go after her too, especially after last night?

"Saniya!"

She jumped. Her eyes immediately looked for a nearby bridge.

"Saniya! It is me, Thor!"

The promise of seeing her giant friend had her turning around instead of looking for escape routes. Thor smiled and waved. So did Bruce a couple feet behind him. Saniya held back a scowl. Stupid Bruce coming to interrupt the only thing that held Thor and her's friendship together.

She plastered a smile on her lips. "What are you doing out this early? It's only eight in the morning."

Thor bounded up to her in three big steps. "My friend Bruce desired breakfast so I suggested we go to New York's Best." He casted a meaningful look towards Bruce. "It truly is the best food in all of New York. The sign tells no lies."

"I'll hold you to that," he commented. Bruce shifted on his feet. "Is this actually the way to go? I have a feeling Thor got us lost."

Saniya nodded. "It's sort of out of the way, but this is the right direction." She scratched her nose. "You know, there's a pancake house if you turn right and head straight. You might like it better there," she suggested in a vague way of keeping Thor and hers lunchtime to themselves. It was sacred, and Bruce was about to commit sacrilege.

Thor slapped her back and bellowed in laughter. She stumbled forward, almost tasting pavement. "You make me laugh! Why would we eat anywhere else when we already know the location of the best restaurant in all of New York? It would be foolish to dine anywhere else."

At least she tried.

They walked together to the restaurant. She felt much better by Thor's side. He could smash any attacker in a billion pieces by just yelling at them. Thor was the ideal bodyguard. Bruce also helped calm her nerves, just not in the same way as her blonde friend. Despite the fact that he had longer limbs than her, Saniya strongly felt that he was a slow runner. So in a worse case scenario, Bruce would be killed first and Saniya would be spared because of her superior cardiovascular strength. The perfect combination: protector and sacrifice (if needed).

"There it is!" Thor gasped. His eyes flickered from the restaurant to Bruce's face.

The building was not the cleanest or in the safest neighborhood, but she prayed that Bruce would tell Thor it looked magnificent. He would be crushed if his friend didn't approve of it.

When Bruce only stared at it with wide eyes, she slammed her heel on his foot. Thor, as usual, stayed blissfully ignorant. Bruce cleared his throat to cover up a yelp. "It looks as amazing as you described it," he complimented. His fingers moved up to his pulse point.

Thor beamed. He was practically skipping to the door. Saniya slipped in, avoiding Thor's large arms holding the door open. Dorie jerked up but relaxed when she saw Saniya. She pretended not to notice the baseball bat that sat on the counter.

"The usual?" she asked while walking backward to the kitchen.

Thor gave a cheery yes. He always ate the same thing every single day. She doubted he would mind if it was technically breakfast instead of lunch.

"And for you?" she asked Bruce.

He shook his head. "Surprise me."

Saniya purposefully ordered him the most expensive meal.

* * *

All the pent up distaste for the man disappeared within a minute of conversation. She wanted to hate him. She really did, but she found she couldn't. Bruce was too sweet. He was somewhat shy —not nearly as open as Thor— but he kept the conversation going. Something about him made her open up. Saniya loathed and loved that at the same time. Whatever reservations she had against Bruce were all in the past. In her mind, he had her blessing to join her and Thor for lunch/breakfast.

Well, maybe not to join them during their traditional meal, but any other time he was welcome.

Saniya snorted, much to her embarrassment. Her drink threatened to come out of her nose. "So, he actually saran wrapped you to your bed? I don't believe you. There's no way this _Tony_ can do that without waking you up or running out of saran wrap. Impossible."

Bruce lightly chuckled. "It's true. I'm sure he has a picture of it somewhere if you need proof." He winced. "On second thought, I'm embarrassed enough telling that story. Showing a picture of it will be too much."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, I showed you my senior prom picture and Thor told us about the time he was mowed over by a pig. The least you can do is prove your story really happened."

He looked up at her then back down to his empty plate. His eyes shifted as he made a split-second decision. Bruce stood up from the booth. "I'll try and see if I can find something," he groaned. "Thor, are you going to stay? I have to get back to the lab."

"Lab? You work in a lab?" she probed.

"Yes."

"So, you're a scientist. What kind?"

Bruce tilted his head. "I'm supposed to be a nuclear physicist."

 _Supposed to be?_

Thor lounged back in the seat. "Please carry on without me. I will stay for another round of delicious waffles."

Saniya barely noticed Bruce leave as Thor instantly trapped her in a conversation about the complex process of growing strawberries. But when she did, she almost hoped he would meet them for a meal again.

* * *

Fury examined the report Agent Barton handed him. He flipped through the papers. The whole incident was tied up in a nice little bow. There were no clear loose ends, and it wasn't surprising that there were none. Agent Romanoff and Barton were thorough.

"And all this happened where in Austin?"

"The freak storm covered a distance of one block. Agent Barton already contacted an analyst to collect the names of witnesses and residents in the area. Several agents have disclosed statements to keep the press quiet," Agent Romanoff answered with her typical monotone, professional tone. "A sample of the blood is on its way to Dr. Banner for analyzing."

There was a reason why he sent two of his best agents: they always finished the job right. He leaned back in his chair. "What do you think happened, agents? Blood doesn't naturally rain from the sky, so what caused it?"

Natasha's face flickered. She spared a glance at her partner.

Clint straightened himself. "You're asking us if you think this was Loki, right?"

"That son of a bitch is locked up tight, but it wouldn't surprise me if this is his fault," Fury said. He stared at the two. "So, what do you think?"

Clint shook his head. "No, I don't think it was him. Making it rain blood for twenty minutes doesn't seem like his style."

Natasha nodded. "He enjoys causing chaos and the storm was severely anticlimactic. Something else did this." Her mouth stayed open like she had something else to add, but she remained silent.

Fury frowned. "Agent Romanoff, do you have anything else to add?"

"No, sir," she replied.

His frown morphed into a scowl. Natasha was an expert at lying, but he was a master at knowing when he was being lied to. "I do not pay you to lie to me."

Fury's harsh tone didn't even phase her. "It is just a theory, sir," she said.

Clint snorted. "It's a damn good theory, Nat." Agent Romanoff glared at her partner. Clint shrunk under the Black Widow's fury as any smart man should. "Come on, after everything we have seen, it's plausible."

Natasha sniffed. "Hardly. There are no facts to support it."

"I want to hear this theory," Fury commanded before Clint could retort. "We need something to work off of."

She sighed. "Director, you are familiar of the incidents in San Francisco and Salt Lake City, correct?"

His eyebrows furrowed from where his agent was heading. "I am," he drew out.

"I believe they are connected. The mammary glands on the male cows, the blood from the stones, and blood raining from the sky all connect to the Hindu interpretation of the end of time," she explained. "But as I said before, it is only a theory."

Clint nodded along. "It makes sense. Well, except that there are no other incidents like these anywhere else in the world. If it was the end of the world, you would think it would be happening everywhere."

Fury placed the papers into a neat pile. He pointed to Agent Romanoff. "Theory or not, I expect some experts on the Hindu faith here within the week. It won't hurt to look into this."

"That can be arranged."

The two agents left the room, leaving Fury to his thoughts. After everything he had learned about Asgard and gods, he should not have been surprised about Agent Romanoff's theory. After all, if there were Norse gods, how far of a stretch were Hindu deities?

But in all honesty, he hoped there weren't any more hidden gods. That would be too much paperwork.


	5. Chapter 4

**Thank you everyone for your support! I love all of you.**

 **Nik1804: I'm glad you love it :) And thank you so much for pointing that out. I meant it as pus, as in the stuff that stuff that comes out of wounds when infected and stuff, but that only has one 's' haha. I just changed it to blood to avoid future confusion.**

 **Lola: I'm super glad you think so! I hope you like what I have planned!**

* * *

Fury requested an expert on the Hindu religion. Naturally, Natasha was determined to find the best. On her days off, which today was supposed to be, she slept in till eight in the morning. But to make up for the time difference, she woke up at three in the morning to call the professor within his office hours.

Professor Clark, an expert on theology currently teaching in New Delhi, was as stubborn as a mule. Not for all the money in SHIELD's numerous accounts would that man to fly to New York. She anticipated him being an easy asset to acquire, but he proved her wrong. Rarely was she proven wrong, so this was a blow to her confidence in her work. Turned out that Professor Clerk wasn't as greedy as she thought.

Bribery did not work and it was proven that Professor Clerk reacted poorly to blackmail through his past work with the intelligence agency. She decided to cut her losses and find someone else. SHIELD had numerous connections in India. There was bound to be a local theologian who was willing to keep their mouth shut. Or perhaps she should consider hiring a Pandit as her partner suggested. There was no better expert on the religion than a Hindu priest. In her experience, though, civilians had a hard time working for a powerful, obscure agency.

Natasha decided it was best to keep her options open and discuss with Fury at a later time.

It didn't make her day any better when Clint handed her a file of some woman five minutes after the infuriating phone call. Sure, Natasha lived and breathed her work, but she deserved a break every now and then. Especially after the alien fiasco three months ago. Studying a file on a woman who did not look like a threat was not how she planned to spend her morning.

Natasha closed the file, hiding the papers detailing the life of Saniya Ramakrishna. She almost felt sorry for the girl. Saniya was fairly ordinary, except for the few errors on her birth certificate and parents' immigration forms. If it weren't for Thor, she never would've been on their radar. But all the sympathy washed away when she remembered the trouble Thor was going through to be friends with her. If Fury caught one whiff of Thor breaking anything in his confidentiality agreement, there would be trouble for the Avenger.

"I will only repeat this one more time, Tony. Fury made it clear when he said that you cannot leave the tower," Pepper lectured.

Natasha looked over her shoulder. Pepper and Tony were having their daily fight. Tony always wanted to do something outside the tower while Pepper reminded him of the extensive contracts he signed. Natasha was fairly certain that Tony never had any intention to leave the tower; he knew what would happen if he did. He just liked to complain.

"But it's so boring here! I've been cooped up in a half-finished tower for weeks. I've been a good boy. I deserve a treat."

"You. Are. Not. Leaving."

Tony rolled his eyes. "What about in my suit? I'll fly out of sight. Just a quick five minute flight. What's the harm?"

Pepper glared. "The harm is that if you do, SHIELD claims all ownership of Stark Industries, including your designs. If that isn't incentive enough to keep you here, then I don't know what to say." She shook her head. "I still don't understand why you signed those papers."

Natasha jerked her head towards her room down the hall. "I have handcuffs in my room if you want to ensure he stays in one spot."

Tony winked. "Oh, you kinky girl." Pepper swatted him with her clipboard.

After Pepper politely declined, the two continued to fight about what the billionaire could or couldn't do. Bruce trudged from his room to the kitchen. He grabbed an apple and plopped in the chair in front of her. His eyes drooped half opened.

Natasha sipped her coffee. "I'm surprised you aren't still asleep in the lab," she commented.

He rubbed his eyes. "Pepper and Jarvis joined forces and made me sleep in an actual bed last night."

"Good," she replied. "How far have you gotten?"

Bruce yawned. "I've extracted the DNA, but I still have nothing to compare it to. The database Tony has covers only a portion of the population that submitted their DNA to a sort of agency. I doubt it matches any in such a small sample."

She tilted her head in thought. "I can arrange to give you access to SHIELD's main database. Fury will give you clearance."

"Or," Tony interjected, "I can hack into their database and give you access much more quickly than asking for permission." Pepper swatted him again and they were back to arguing.

Bruce glanced between the two. He sighed. "I think I'll do it the legal way. Thanks, Natasha."

The clock turned 8:00 and Thor barreled into the room. He grinned at everyone. "My friends, a good morning to all of you."

"Good morning, Thor," Pepper greeted with her typical cheerfulness. She scowled one last time at her boyfriend then stormed off to do more important things. Tony hid a smirk as he sank into the chair next to the assassin. He pulled out his phone and started tapping wildly on the screen. If she had to bet, he was doing something he would get into trouble for later.

As she inhaled her caffeine intake for the day, an idea popped into Natasha's head. It would be a good idea to see what her Asgardian teammate had gotten himself into as she was often the one who fixed the Avengers' mistakes.

"Thor," she called out with a grin that lulled many prime ministers and criminals into a false sense of security.

Thor didn't question her kindness. He returned her politeness with a smile. "Lady Natasha," he replied.

"I heard you found the best restaurant in all of New York."

Bruce snorted while Thor lit up like a lightbulb. "That is true. Do you wish to join me while I feast with Lady Saniya?"

"Who's Saniya?" she asked innocently.

"She's a waitress there," Bruce answered for him. "They're friends."

Natasha hardened her gaze. She considered asking how much his friend knew about the Avengers, about Thor, about... everything, but she figured she would find out soon enough. The Black Widow stood up with grace. "Let's get breakfast, Thor," she said, leaving no room for argument. But it's not like he would've argued with the suggestion in the first place.

The Asgardian beamed. He turned to Bruce. "Do you wish to join us? As a Midgardian saying goes, 'the more the merrier'!"

Bruce thought for a moment. "Sure, why not? Jarvis is still reconfiguring some programs in the lab so I have time to spare."

" _The programs will be finished by the time you return, sir_ ," Jarvis reported.

Tony lifted his head from his phone. "Reconfiguration? Why are you reconfiguring my things?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "They were hard to navigate due to the layout and the information wasn't properly categorized. It's bothered me for so long until last night Jarvis suggested changing it to my liking." Tony's expression was close to murderous. Bruce held in a sigh. The last few weeks, Tony had been more stubborn than usual. Natasha diagnosed it as a textbook case of stir crazy. "You're the one who gave me my own computer to record my data. It's important that I'm able to use it."

Tony shook his head. "I'm so offended that you didn't like the program layout. I was the one who programmed it!" The billionaire brandished his phone at the scientist like a weapon. "I take all my compliments back; I hate your different perspective. Why can't you always think like me?"

Natasha scoffed. "You adore his different perspective, especially at moments like these when it conflicts with yours." Tony was about to argue but stopped when he concluded she was (once again) right. He dismissed them with a flick of the hand. All three Avengers tried to keep their eye rolling to a minimum as they left the kitchen.

* * *

Saniya gagged on the cherry stem. She spat it out in her hand and the slimy stem was immediately thrown into the trash.

Dorie plucked the stem from her lips. It was a perfect knot. She cheered in triumph.

"I thought you said you have never done this before," Saniya complained.

"I haven't," Dorie chirped, "but I read a step by step in a forum when I was twelve. It's not that hard once you read the instructions." She held out her palm. "Pay up."

Saniya pulled out two books from behind the counter. Dorie snatched them from her. "Not you best hiding place," she commented.

"Don't you dare insult it. You never looked there, so it did its job," Saniya defended.

Dorie rolled her eyes then dived back into her book. Nothing, not even an atomic bomb or all the trumpet players in the world combined, could distract her now.

The door chimed. Saniya looked to the entrance. A woman with short red hair walked into the restaurant. Her posture was perfect and her eyes were cold. Saniya felt herself heat up as her gaze landed on her. She pretended to be looking at the menus. Two seconds later, Bruce and Thor walked in. The three sat in a booth in the corner of the room, closest to the door.

 _Ugh_. More people. It seemed like the days of Thor and Saniya —only Thor and Saniya— were over. It was a small matter of time until more of his friends showed up, slowly pushing her away until she was nothing more than a dot in the distance.

Many of her teachers and concerned parents voiced their worries about Saniya's selfish behavior towards friends. Despite her reluctance to admit it, they always brought up good points. She wanted them for herself and preferred to have all of her friends' attention. Over the years, she had grown from grabby and demanding to passive aggressive. It was in improvement, as she was able to hide her bitter feelings easier. But as she had discovered time and time again, being passive aggressive was not fun. This time, she would try to be open to sharing Thor's time. Try being the key word.

Saniya bounced towards the three and slid into the booth next to Thor. "Hi Thor, Bruce, and woman I have never met before." She took in the woman's tight features. "Are you Jane?"Thor looked horrified.

Thor looked horrified.

She held out her hand. Saniya shook it in a handshake that probably lasted a second too long. "My name's Natasha, not Jane," she said with a smirk. Saniya breathed out in relief. Natasha was too stiff for Thor. "You must be Saniya. I've heard a lot about you."

Her brain stuttered. Saniya kicked Thor under the table. "You have?"

Thor's eyebrows drew together. "But Lady Natasha, I haven't spoken to you about her until today."

Natasha kept her smirk. "I know."

He let out a nervous laugh. "Then how could you have heard a lot about her? I wanted you to find out her glorious personality for yourself." His eyes flickered everywhere in the restaurant but her. Turned out that Saniya wasn't the only one unnerved by Natasha.

"I know a lot of things, Thor. It's nothing you need to strain yourself about."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Should we have breakfast now?" he offered suddenly.

Saniya was grateful for a distraction. "Yes, breakfast is good. Thor, the usual?"

"Of course."

"Bruce?"

"Same thing as yesterday, please."

"Can do, doll. What do you want, Natasha?"

The red regarded her for a minute before examining her nails. "I will have nothing to eat."

"Are you sure?"

Natasha looked up from her nails. "I always am," she replied.

Leaving the intimidating woman behind, Saniya rushed to the kitchen. The cook, whose name she could never remember, went to work on the eggs and bacon. Right as she finished stirring a cup of chocolate milk for Thor, Bruce walked into the kitchen.

"Customers aren't allowed to be back here," she teased.

He ducked his head. "Sorry, I can go—"

She ushered him towards her. "I was _joking_. Nobody cares if you come in here or not." Bruce jammed his fingers in his pockets. His steps were hesitant, but he eventually made it to her side. "So, do you need anything?"

Bruce's lips quirked into a smile. It was a sweet smile, somewhat shy, but it made her feel fuzzy inside nevertheless. "I didn't want to do this in front of Natasha and Thor, but I have something you might want to see."

He pulled out a phone and pulled up a picture. Her hands flew to her mouth to muffle her laughter.

"Here's the proof you were wondering about," he announced.

The picture was of Bruce saran-wrapped to his bed. Everything below his head was wrapped in the thick layer of plastic. Several empty boxes of saran wrap sat on the dark carpet next to the bed. Bruce was clearly annoyed in the picture with his frowning mouth, flared nostrils, and... green eyes? She could have sworn his were brown.

"This is really amazing. I can't believe someone actually did this."

He sighed. "Trust me, this isn't the worst of what Tony does to us."

Her eyes sparkled. Bruce stared for a couple seconds then looked towards the ground. "What else has he done?" she asked. The appeal of meeting the infamous Tony was growing.

"Honestly, I think he has done every prank imaginable."

"I really doubt that," she replied. Bruce smiled again. Doubting him was becoming a habit. "My dad and I used to..." Saniya leaned against the counter. Crap. She quickly backtracked. Saniya didn't want to think about her father, let alone talk about him. "Nevermind. But it's impossible for him to have done every prank."

He shook his head. "Then he has done most of them. If you were in my shoes, you would be saying the same thing."

"I won't believe you until I have proof."

"As a man of science, I would be offended if you did."

Saniya placed the drinks on the tray. She balanced it with one hand, the other keeping it steady. "Come on. Thor's probably dying of thirst." With a quick nod of the head, the two left the kitchen. Thor eagerly grabbed his chocolate milk while she handed out drinks to Bruce and Natasha.

Saniya plopped down in the booth. "So, Natasha," the woman looked up with one eyebrow arched. "Are you a scientist like Bruce?"

Her red lips curved into an amused smirk. "No. I follow a different career path."

"What do you do?"

"I'm an assassin."

A chuckle escaped Saniya's lips, but it fell flat when she realized no one else was laughing. Thor looked shell-shocked. His eyes were as large as the moon and mouth hung open. Bruce's glass froze halfway to his mouth, his brown eyes flickering between the two women.

They snapped out of it when the door chimed open. The man from a couple nights ago —Dorie's neighbor— strutted in with his head held high. He sat in a booth on the other side of the room. Saniya couldn't recall his name, but she did remember slamming the door in his face. She spotted her co-worker resting in a booth, her legs high in the air and a book over her face. Dorie wasn't going to be much help.

"I'll help this guy really quick," she told the three.

Right as she stood up, Natasha grabbed her wrist. Her eyes examined the man's face. There was a spark of recognition. "How about you let your co-worker take care of him," she suggested.

Saniya tried to pry Natasha's fingers from her arm. "Dorie's stuck in her own world. It'll be three minutes. You won't even notice I'm gone."

Thor straightened himself. His hand fell to his hammer as he looked at the man. He scooted closer to her so that their shoulders were touching. There was no way she would leave the booth without him grabbing her first.

Her grip tightened. Natasha brought her face closer to hers. Saniya felt herself freeze at the cold expression on the woman's face. "You are important to Thor. By default, you are important to me. I do not want you to leave this table."

"Why? What is so wrong with that man that I can't serve him?"

"Trust me."

There was one thing Saniya hated: people telling her what to do without a good reason. Her parents used to do that a lot and it grated on Saniya's nerves. Doing the opposite of what Natasha wanted looked incredibly pleasing all of a sudden.

"I don't even know who you are," she blurted out. "I haven't known you for an hour and you're bossing me around. If you can't give me one good reason not to go over there, then I could not care less if you are the president. I will do my job." Saniya raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a good reason?"

Natasha remained silent for a few seconds the released her grip. "Not one that you would believe."

Saniya ducked under Thor's grasp. As she walked the small distance from their table to the man's, she grabbed a menu and ignored Bruce and Thor's urgent whispers.

Maybe she should've listened to her. Natasha didn't seem like someone to freak out over nothing, but the devil's advocate in her brain brought up the fact that she knew nothing about the woman. For all she knew, Natasha was a nutcase who liked to scare waitresses. If that was her plan, she succeeded. Saniya was thoroughly freaked out. This was worse than when she was walking home the day after Dorie and her were followed by the strange men.

"Hello, my name is Saniya. What can I get you to drink?" Saniya recited.

"My name is Christopher. We've met before."

She pointed her pen. "I remember. So, drink?"

Christopher drummed his fingers on the table. He bit the inside of his cheek. "The agent makes this much more difficult. I doubt she'll come willingly with me, anyway," he grumbled.

That did not sound like a drink order. "I'm sorry, but what are you talking about?" she asked.

His hand grabbed hers. Christopher was much more gentle than Natasha but it still sparked her adrenaline. "Sorry, dear. I like to talk to myself. It's a nasty habit." A remnant of an accent snuck into his voice. He cleared his throat and it was gone as soon as it appeared. "Should I do this fast? It might get messy, but all I have to do is grab her and leave."

"Christopher?" Saniya successfully tugged her hand away. He let her go but clasped her other hand.

Christopher tilted his head. "Fast it is."

He stood from the booth. Christopher was larger than her. Thor was the only person she met who would be taller than him. With a speed she thought was reserved for superman, he whipped out a gun from beneath his shirt. He pulled the trigger and Natasha fell to the ground, her own gun clattering to the tile.

Saniya felt her throat close up as she realized that someone was just shot. None of this felt real. Christopher aimed his gun right between Thor's eyes. It hit him but flattened against his forehead. A large bruise was forming already, but she didn't register that fact that Thor survived. All she knew was that her best friend was shot.

The only thing keeping her calm was the mantra of ' _they aren't really dead_ ' she kept repeating in her head.

Saniya jabbed a finger in his chest. "You are not getting away with that a second time," she vowed. Her voice shook against her command, but her point got across.

Before he could give his confused response, the earth spun in reverse. The bullets hopped back into the gun. Natasha was breathing again. Bruce didn't look as green and Thor was safe.

Now she finally understood the quote 'with great power came great responsibility'. Her trick, which she used for her own enjoyment of jumping off bridges and tall building, was the only thing standing between Christopher and the three. Saniya had the power to stop him and that was exactly what she was going to do.

 _"I doubt she'll come willingly with me, anyways."_

"Why don't you just ask?" she suggested. He probably felt the tremor in her fingers.

Christopher grinned. His free hand cupped the side of her face. "Will you come with me?"

 _Absolutely not._ "Yes."

Saniya wanted to slap herself. Going with him would keep Thor and Natasha alive, but she was sure to end up dead in a ditch. No, she did not want to go with him at all.

"Doll told me you were special like her. My car is out front." Christopher stood. He was graceful like a cat. It would have been admirable if she hadn't just seen him murder Natasha. There was no way she would ever forget her lifeless body.

He guided her to the door. Saniya called out a quick 'goodbye' and placed Dorie in charge. Bruce's panicked expression was the last thing she saw before Christopher placed her in the passenger seat of his illegally parked car. Even Bruce knew she was absolutely screwed. That didn't help her confidence in the situation.

"Wait!" Saniya fought her way out of the car. Christopher was too strong, though, as he easily kept her in place. "I changed my mind!"

He moved his shirt to reveal his gun. "No, you didn't."

This was her moment to be brave, to claim that she would never get into a car with a murderer. This was her chance to fight the bad guy and win, just like the superheroes in the movies. Exactly like the Avengers during the alien invasion. The only problem was that she wasn't a hero. She didn't have super strength or laser vision. The only she could do was go back in time by five seconds, which wasn't super helpful at escaping a madman.

Knowing that it was game over for her, she let herself be stuffed into the car.

As soon as Christopher sped away, Natasha, Thor, and Bruce ran out of the restaurant. Thor had his hammer lifted, though she didn't know what he expected to do with it. Natasha pushed his arm down and raised a cellphone to the side of her head. Before the car turned down the street she mouthed 'be ready'.

Good lord that woman was creepy.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

"The airport. There's a plane waiting for us." Christopher dialed a number into his phone. He brought it to his ear. "Doll, I found Saniya." A long pause. "I'm sure she's the right one. She never would've come with me if she wasn't. She must've known I am bringing her to you. You guys can feel that sort of stuff, right?"

Saniya didn't bother correcting him on her motives.

He smiled and nodded. She made out a woman's voice but couldn't understand the words. It was too muffled. Christopher handed her the device. "She wants to talk to you."

She pushed the phone back. "Well, I don't want to talk to her."

His eyebrows drew together. "Why don't you want to talk to your sister?"

Saniya leaned back in her seat. "I don't have—"

Neither had a chance to scream when a large black truck collided with Christopher's side. The metal crumpled in on itself, almost crushing him. The airbags inflated a millisecond later, saving Saniya's head from colliding with the dashboard. The ringing in her ears was so loud she barely made out the sound of the people yelling. Her face stung from the airbag's rough slap. Other than that, she felt relatively unbroken.

Christopher groaned against the steering wheel. His arm bent in an odd position. Saniya gagged when she saw the bone sticking out of his arm.

Her fingers fumbled with the seat belt. They were jello.

"Please, _please_ unlock," she pleaded.

The seat belt answered her cries. She pushed the airbag back and leaned against the door. Someone opened it and she tumbled out. Saniya barely caught herself before hitting the pavement. A pair of boots stepped in front of her.

"Saniya Ramakrishna, we have a lot of questions for you."


	6. Chapter 5

**Thank you everyone for your support! If you haven't already, please review/favorite/follow so I know how I'm doing. Next update will have a lot of Bruce/Saniya time, so don't worry!**

 **Nik1804: Haha I'm glad you liked it :) And the answer to that question is in this update! I hope you continue to like my story!**

* * *

Saniya came to the conclusion that the mafia was holding her hostage. For some reason, the mafia kidnaped her and brought her here. Her explanation was based off the abandoned warehouse hideout and the abundance of guns lying around. No law-abiding citizen would own that many guns if they didn't intend to use them. Plus, the secret location gave the situation a sketchy feeling.

Maybe Christopher was trying to take the crime organization down and he wanted to warn her. The mafia caught up with them and was now going to torture her for information.

But that didn't explain why he would bother warning a mediocre waitress and shot Thor and Natasha.

Unless they were part of the mafia too and he knew she was close to Thor!

Saniya calmed the train wreck that was her thought process before she could jump to anymore conclusions. Thor was too friendly to be a mafia member. It was not possible. If he was, Saniya would have known. On the other hand, Saniya wouldn't doubt for a minute that Natasha was involved. She gave off an aura of power, and what better way to gain power than be the leader of the mafia?

To stop her mind from convincing herself that Natasha was a crime lord hell-bent on killing her via truck, Saniya focused on the nurse who entered a couple minutes ago. He rummaged through a small red pouch until he pulled out a small pad.

She slapped the nurse's hand away. "Don't touch me!"

His scrubs were a light gray and just as boring as his voice. The dull light made the wrinkles in his forehead clearer. "Ms. Ramakrishna, this is more for your benefit than mine," the nurse droned. He lifted up the small pad he intended to clean her face with. "I suggest you let me continue."

The nurse had a good point, but Saniya was a startled deer. Her brown eyes kept darting and everything was a threat. Even something as harmless as a nurse. Her mafia theory didn't make her nerves any better.

Saniya scooted back in the metal chair. "Not until someone tells me where I am." The nurse's lips stayed sealed and his hand was too close to his taser for comfort. "I have a roommate. She'll call the police when she realizes I never came back. Plus, there were witnesses to my kidnapping and the car crash. They know I'm in trouble," she told him.

A woman with a tight bun and a poor fitting suit sauntered into the room. The door slammed behind her. She gripped several folders in her large hands. "I doubt she will; Ms. Hughes has been made aware of the situation. And, is that how you would describe it? A kidnapping?"

When the woman took a seat, the nurse begrudgingly left the room. It was just Saniya and the tallest woman she had ever seen. Her chair appeared like it belonged to a doll compared to her body. Underneath the thin fabric of her jacket, Saniya noticed the ripples of muscle. This woman had the body of someone who lived in a gym.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Agent Klemmer. Please answer my question."

Saniya blinked. "Is this an interrogation?"

"Yes. Now, the question—"

"Are you the mafia, then?" Saniya blurted. She kicked herself under the table. If the mafia wasn't planning to kill her, they would now since she acknowledged their existence. "I promise not to say anything if you are," she rushed out before Agent Klemmer could respond. "Who would believe me anyways? I'm poor. No one believes poor people when against the rich."

Agent Klemmer flared her nostrils but sustained an indifferent expression on her face. "I can assure you we are not the mafia. This is SHIELD: Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division." The long name sounded like it was a part of the government, one of the obscure agencies no one hears about. "Miss Ramakrishna, do you consider your experience a kidnapping?"

Saniya crossed her arms. The lack of mafia activity brought back some of her confidence. At least now she could be bossy without worrying about her body being dumped in the Hudson river. And since she was sure she was in government hands, Saniya wanted to prolong an arrest as long as possible. "I demand to see a lawyer," Saniya replied.

Agent Klemmer's eyes fluttered with irritation. "A lawyer will hardly help you out of this position. This is the last time I will ask you—"

"I am an American citizen," Saniya proclaimed. "An American citizen has rights, in case you haven't noticed. This little interrogation of yours will not continue until I see some sort of lawyer." Her fingers twisted into a giant knot. "I cannot afford one, so a lawyer is appointed to me by the state, right?" Government was not her best class in high school, but she watched enough television to know that.

The agent slammed her hands on the table. "You willingly got into a car with a known terrorist. Under the Patriot Act, your rights are ignored," Agent Klemmer growled.

Saniya's heart jumped to her throat. The terror was back in her eyes. "The United States government thinks I'm a terrorist?" she squeaked.

Agent Klemmer's face relaxed when she saw Saniya's scared expression. A part of her recognized it as the good cop bad cop act rolled into one person. "We are not the government. This is SHIELD," she corrected with a softer tone. Agent Klemmer opened a file. Christopher's mugshot was paperclipped to the top, like in a cheesy detective show. "Christopher O'Neill is a known arms dealer for many terrorist groups. He also was a part of the failed regrouping of Hydra five years ago. What I don't understand is why a nice girl like you would willingly get into his car."

Saniya dug her fingernails into her thigh. "To be honest, I didn't know he was a terrorist at the time," she defended.

"Fair enough," Agent Klemmer hummed. She stood and paced the tiny room. "But you knew he was armed, correct?" The agent didn't wait for Saniya to answer. "Why did you get into the car instead of calling for help? Agent Romanoff stated you did it quite willingly. I assumed it was because you are working with him."

She held her hands up. "Wait a minute, is that why you nearly killed us? Because you thought we were working together? I'm not a criminal like Christopher!"

"Terrorist, Miss Ramakrishna," Agent Klemmer reminded her.

Saniya shook her head, which strained her neck. "What is wrong with you?" she hissed. "You could have killed me! We all could have died because of your decision to test how strong his car was! There has to be some sort of law making this illegal. Do you have a boss I can talk to because they're going to get an ear full of—"

She was cut off when Agent Klemmer's phone went off. Both of the women froze. The phone kept ringing until Agent Klemmer dropped her gaze and answered. Saniya rubbed her temples. The sharp ringtone made her head hurt more than it already did.

"This is Klemmer," she greeted with a stiff tone. The agent blanched after a couple of seconds. "Hello, Agent Romanoff. I took care of the situation, as instructed."

There was a long pause.

"In all due respect, I was the only available agent. Miss Ramakrishna was treated with the utmost respect."

Saniya snorted. Nowhere on earth was it a show of respect to nearly kill a person with a car.

Agent Klemmer held up a finger to silence her. "I did what was necessary. There is a possibility she is connected to Hydra. I hope you reconsider—" She stopped mid-sentence then jutted out the phone to Saniya. "Agent Romanoff would like to have a word with you."

Saniya narrowed her eyes. "This is the second time someone handed a phone to me today. I am not speaking to whoever Agent Romanoff is until I know exactly who they are," she demanded. It was a fair request, so she didn't understand the glare Agent Klemmer sent her. She had the right to know who she was speaking to.

Agent Klemmer forced it into her palm. "Agent Romanoff is my superior." One of her eyebrows rose. "I vaguely remember you demanding to speak to my boss."

That was enough to convince her. Saniya placed the phone to her ear. "Please tell me you're going to fire her," she pleaded to the mystery person. "She nearly killed me for Christ's sake."

" _Yes, I heard. I was not aware Agent Klemmer was the one responding until it was too late. She's one of the more overeager agents_ ," mused the voice on the other end. " _I'll be more than happy to forward a complaint to the director._ "

Saniya tilted her head. The voice was familiar. "Your name doesn't happen to be Natasha, right?"

There was a small, amused chuckle on the other end. It sounded like the type of laugh that belonged to a serial killer. Yeah, that was her. " _Hello, Saniya. Thor is worried sick_ ," Natasha confirmed. Saniya slapped her forehead. Of course Natasha was a part of SHIELD. Just when she thought she was done being caught off guard, her day threw another curve ball. " _I am just outside the warehouse in a black sedan. You are coming with me._ "

"Not until you tell me where I'm going." Thor's friend or not, Saniya was not about to get into Natasha's car. She learned the lesson of getting into a stranger's car the hard way.

" _Stark Tower. Thor and the others are waiting there._ "

Now was Saniya's turn to laugh. "Why would Thor be in Stark Tower? That makes no sense."

Natasha fell silent for a moment. She sighed. It was barely audible on Saniya's side. " _And here I was thinking that you were smart. Saniya, he is one of the Avengers_."

"No, he is not," Saniya denied. "Thor isn't the alien killing type."

" _He carries his Mjolnir everywhere he goes and you haven't figured it out yet_?" Natasha's disappointment was nearly tangible.

Saniya's confidence dwindled. Her brain rushed through every time she made a reference to the Avengers. It wasn't very often, but Thor's reaction was always the same: avoid the topic at all costs. Maybe his avoidance was because of his connection with the group. Plus, the hammer was a bit weird, and Saniya remembered seeing videos of a guy with a large hammer before they were censored.

"How sure are you that he is an Avenger?"

" _Very certain._ " There was a jingle of keys. " _If we don't hurry, Thor will destroy all of New York looking for you. I would prefer to get to the tower before that happens._ " Natasha hung up on her.

Saniya smiled at Agent Klemmer. "Can I leave the warehouse?"

"Not without a full escort," the agent replied.

As long as she got out of there, Saniya didn't care.

* * *

Natasha's driving was just as terrifying as her stone cold expression. They weaved in between cars, going faster than any sane person would drive. One time Saniya swore Natasha was going to drive on the sidewalk. And while she was driving, Natasha answered her questions about SHIELD, not once stuttering whenever they hit a pothole. Of course, they were severely edited answers which kept out key information such as their plans with Saniya and what the organization really did with its agents, but it was something. The more she learned about SHIELD, the more Saniya realized that her previous assumptions about the mafia were almost spot on.

Saniya stepped out from the vehicle when it braked in front of Stark tower. Immediately, Natasha dragged her to the elevator. She didn't leave any time to marvel at the clean lobby or doorman.

The doors slammed shut and the buttons lit on the floor they needed. It already knew where they were going.

" _Good afternoon, Agent Romanoff_ ," said a British male. The voice came from nowhere she could see as there was no one else in the elevator.

Natasha placed her hands on her hips. "Afternoon, Jarvis. This is Saniya Ramakrishna. Limit her access to the main living floor and labs unless stated otherwise."

" _Of course, Agent Romanoff_ ," the voice reported back. " _It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ramakrishna_."

Saniya eyed the ceiling of the elevator. There wasn't a speaker in sight. "It's a pleasure to meet you too..." What did Natasha call him again? "... Jarvis."

Natasha nudged her forward when the doors opened. Saniya's breath was sucked away at the sight. A large TV stood before a gigantic couch which could fit a whole kindergarten class. The kitchen was just behind it with shiny state-of-the-art appliances. A large oak table sat in the center the kitchen with a vase of flowers. Further into the floor was a long hallway. The lights on the wall illuminated the walkway in the noon glow. But the most amazing thing —in her opinion— was the windows and the balcony. They stretched the whole wall and saw over New York City. Her fingers tingled when she noticed how high up they were. She couldn't wait to try and jump off the tower.

And, on a less impressive note, was Tony Stark standing in the middle of the room stabbing a remote with a screwdriver.

Seeing the billionaire in person was underwhelming. He was dressed in stained pajama pants and a tank top with his company logo. Everything about him screamed 'I just got out of bed'. Despite the lazy look, he was bouncing with energy. Tony laughed —almost maniacally— and placed the remote on the coffee table. Saniya tried to tell herself that she was staring at a genius, one whose mind could never be matched, but it was hard picturing that when he looked like a couch potato.

Natasha cleared her throat and the billionaire looked up. He wiggled his finger in Saniya's direction. "So you're the girl I've been getting emails about," Tony stated.

She felt her muscles stiffen. "You've been getting emails about me?" she asked.

Tony waved his hand as if it was nothing. "Most of them were from Thor. I never should have taught him how to use the internet. But," he dragged on, "some were from a certain secret organization. Natasha, wanna tell me what that's about or do I need to force the answer out of Clint?"

Saniya plopped into the couch. The piece of furniture threatened to gobble her up.

"You and Dr. Banner will be given the information soon enough. All of the data on her is relatively new and still waiting to be filed. Make sure to check you email," Natasha explained.

At the mention of his name, Bruce came out from the hallway with his hands stuck in his pockets. "What information will I get—?" He stopped when he saw Saniya on the couch. Bruce's eyes immediately drifted to the patch of blood on her forehead and the small scrapes. "What happened to your face? Did... he...?"

"Christopher? Guy who kidnapped me?" she offered. "He didn't hurt me. SHIELD tried to murder us with a truck. This," Saniya gestured to her face, "is from the airbag."

The three each had their own reaction to her statement. Tony let out a low whistle before pouring himself a drink at the bar. He shrugged then brought out a second glass. Natasha shot Saniya a somewhat regretful look, which Saniya took as an apology for letting Agent Klemmer be in charge, but didn't show any other sign of guilt. Bruce pulled out a pair of glasses from his pocket and immediately moved to get a better look of her face. The space between his eyebrows creased.

His hands reached up for her face, but he recoiled before he could touch her. "May I?" he asked.

She nodded. "I thought you were a nuclear physicist," Saniya commented as Bruce tilted his head for a better look. His fingers were warm and gentle. He had the hands of an experienced doctor.

He shrugged. "I am. But, according to SHIELD, the title doctor means I can do anything science related."

"But you can. You're like a super scientist," Tony protested. He sipped on his drink while making an 'mmm' sound. The billionaire curled around his alcohol like it was hot cocoa.

Bruce ignored Tony's comment. The corners of his mouth curled into a shy smile which unknowingly made her smile back. "You don't need to worry, though. I was a medical doctor in India for several years, so I know what I'm doing." His eyes roved over her entire face. Saniya had not looked in a mirror since the accident, but she assumed it was a mess. "Do you have a headache or any nausea?"

"I have a headache," she answered. Saniya tucked her black hair behind her ear. "No nausea, though."

He removed his glasses. The bags under his eyes were clearer without them. "If you experience any signs of a concussion, please tell me. I'm worried that the air bag hit you too hard," Bruce said.

"Why? Is my face a mess?" she teased.

Bruce was about to stutter out a clarification when Thor bolted into the room. His eyes widened with joy at the sight of his friend in one piece. Now that she knew he was one of the Avengers —a god if she remembered her facts right— seeing him in a t-shirt and jeans was weird. He engulfed her in the tightest hug of her life, and she was okay with that. Her foot nearly smacked Bruce in the face as Thor swung her in a circle. Saniya couldn't recall a moment when someone was this happy to see her. It sparked a nice feeling in her chest. When her back cracked, relieving some of the pressure in her spine, Thor set her down.

He dipped his head. "I apologize, Lady Saniya. I was not able to protect you." Thor sounded devastated. Even in times of trouble, he remembered his formalities.

Saniya rocked back on her heels. "Don't worry about it, big guy." She kicked him in the shin, hurting herself more than him. "What I want to know is why you didn't tell me you were an Avenger and why you sent emails about me to Tony Stark!"

Tony swirled his glass. The amber liquid nearly stained the white carpet. "To be fair, they were all nice, nothing creepy. Just a five paragraph essay about how excited he is for Jane to meet you and then something about how shiny your hair is," Tony reassured her with a smirk.

Saniya kicked Thor in the shin again.

He backed out of her reach. "So you are not angry about allowing you to fall in harm's way?" Thor asked. A small glimmer of hope fluttered in his blue eyes.

She fought back a sigh. "Why would I be mad at that? You're not my guardian angel or anything, or god I guess in this case." Bruce chuckled as she attempted to kick Thor one last time. "Just stop sending emails about me."

"Don't do it, Thor," Tony piped in. His smirk grew. "Don't let a silly Midgardian tell you what to do."

Thor glanced between the two. He chose his words carefully. "I fear her wrath if I do not, Man of Iron." Thor looked back to his friend. "I will not send any more emails about you without your consent."

"That's all I ask for." Saniya smiled but then frowned when her real life responsibilities came back to her. "Can I go back to work now?"

Bruce looked at her like she grew two heads. "You really want to go back to work after everything that happened?"

She shrugged. "I don't have a choice." The Avengers stared at her as she walked towards the elevator and pressed the down button. The elevator doors remained shut.

" _I apologize, but you do not have access to the lobby, Miss Ramakrishna_ ," Jarvis replied the second she pressed the button. " _However, you are welcome to explore the labs if you want._ "

Saniya nervously laughed at the ceiling. "Okay, really funny, Jarvis, but open the door."

" _I'm sorry, but you do not have access to those floors._ "

Natasha pushed off from the wall. The way she stood, with her shoulders back and chin high, demanded everyone's attention. Without any effort on her part, Natasha was the center of focus. "Director Fury has requested that you stay in Stark tower until you are no longer deemed a threat," she said.

Saniya and Tony's mouths fell open in shock.

"I thought I just cleared up that I'm not a threat!" Saniya objected as Tony bemoaned the fact that they were living on one of his guest floors and there wasn't enough room.

She shook her head. "I promise you that I'm not a part of Hydra or any terrorist groups. I promise you I'm not!" Saniya stammered. Her heart pounded so fast it was about to burst. Staying here was not an option. If she stayed here, she would lose her job, then lose her apartment... and then she would be homeless again. SHIELD and Avengers be damned, that was not going to happen.

"I believe you," Natasha said. "But I'm afraid that that is not what SHIELD is worried about, despite the impression Agent Klemmer gave you. Dr. Banner?"

Bruce turned his head after giving Saniya a sympathetic glance.

"Director Fury has placed you in charge of her health and discovering why she gives off the same energy signatures as Loki."

The room fell silent.

Saniya was no scientist, but having the same energy signatures as Loki seemed like a very bad thing to have. She got a feeling that maybe, just maybe they knew about her ability, her trick. This only confirmed her need to escape. Plus, she hated the curious looks Thor, Bruce, and Tony had. Especially Bruce and Tony. Saniya felt more like an experiment than a person under their gaze.

"Does she..." Thor was the first to break the silence. "Does she possess magic like my brother?"

Natasha kept her gaze of Saniya. "I don't believe so. When SHIELD was profiling Miss Hughes, nothing odd turned up when Saniya was investigated. Do you have magic?"

"No!" she told them quickly.

The redhead's eyes narrowed a fraction.

Tony slapped his hand on the bar. "Okay, I for one, am not ready to have this conversation right now. I'll show our little prisoner one of the extra rooms on the floor and introduce her to the rest of the scooby doo gang. If anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace." Thor, Natasha, and Bruce remained silent. Tony handed Saniya the second glass he poured. "Drink up kid. You're gonna need it."

Saniya gulped the drink the instant the glass touched her hand. While she wanted to learn more about what was going on, she agreed with him: she wasn't ready to have the conversation.

Tony strolled into the hallway. "This is one of my guest floors where I place the people I don't like. But, after the alien invasion fiasco, I've been doing a little remodeling, so this is all we've got." He pointed towards the first door on the left. "That's mine and Pep's room."

"Pep?"

"Pepper. Pepper Potts. She's an angel, honestly." Tony jabbed towards the next door. "That's Clint and Natasha's. Technically Clint's, but they prefer to bunk together." The billionaire threw open the door.

A man with short brown hair sat on a king-sized bed sharpening an arrow. The walls were decorated with crossbows and knives. There was a gun rack next to the bed filled with rifles and small handguns. On the wall across from the king sized bed was a dartboard. A picture of a man with long black hair and an antler helmet was taped over the bulls-eye. Two darts stuck out where his eyes were supposed to be and someone drew a mustache in marker.

"Clint, this is Saniya. Saniya, this is Clint," Tony introduced. "She'll be staying with us until dad tells us otherwise."

Clint's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really?" he questioned. "I could have sworn they were going to throw her in a cell back at base."

 _They were going to do what?!_

Tony shrugged. "Guess Thor's unconditional love convinced Fury to let her stay here."

Clint twirled the arrow between his hands. "Ehh, I think it just gives him an excuse to keep Nat in New York." He winked at her. "Make sure you cause a lot of trouble, alright? Don't be afraid to give her hell."

Oh, Saniya was very afraid to give Natasha hell (especially after learning that her 'joke' about being an assassin was not a joke at all), and Clint saw the fear in her eyes. Instead of telling her that it was okay, he chuckled to himself.

"Next room," Stark tugged her away from the doorway. "That room is the Captain's." Tony rolled his eyes. "He's really annoying about his _privacy_ and _alone time_ so you shouldn't bother him unless something is on fire or if you need to get something off a tall shelf." He pushed the door open.

It was pitch black except for the glow of a laptop. Captain America sat in the middle of his bed scrolling through facebook. His eyes were wide with wonder until he saw them standing in the doorway.

"Stark," he sighed, looking more exasperated than angry, "I know it's difficult for you to follow instructions, but please knock before you enter. It's the polite thing to do."

"Thought this was too important to wait," Tony quipped. He pointed at her. "This is Saniya. She's living with us now." The Captain opened his mouth, but Tony stopped him before he could. "I'm running on two hours of sleep and a glass of whiskey so I would prefer you save your questions for Natasha. She's the only one here who knows what's really going on." The door slammed and they were walking to the next one.

The wood door had a giant red x painted in the middle. Tony didn't touch this door. "That's Nat's room. It's filled with all her super spy stuff. I'm pretty sure it's booby trapped, so avoid at all costs unless you have a death sentence."

Tony quickly moved on. "This is the guest bedroom, aka yours." He pointed nodded towards her room then pointed to a door at the end of the hallway. It was the furthest from the other rooms. "The last one is the good doctor's, but he's rarely in there so don't worry about it." Tony nodded, satisfied with his brief tour of the floor. "Questions?"

Saniya nodded. "A lot, actually. Who's Loki?"

Tony winced. "I meant about the living arrangements."

She met the billionaire's gaze. "I need to know, Mr. Stark."

"Oh, _god_ , please just call me Tony," he moaned. "Mr. Stark was my father."

Her arms fell to her hips. Without knowing it, she adopted the same stance Natasha had before. "Fine, Tony. Who is Loki? This seems like something I really should know."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I understand." Tony tilted his head. "Let's order some food and see if we'll tell you what you need to know." He shook his head. "This is going to suck."

* * *

Saniya was curled in the fetal position, using Thor's leg as a pillow. Several hours had passed since their long discussion —it sucked, just as Tony predicted— and she still had trouble absorbing the bits of information thrown at her.

The Avengers described what really happened during the invasion. They didn't answer her questions of why SHIELD was determined to keep everything they told her from the public, but they did give her a new appreciation for the city. No other place in the world could say it survived an alien attack. At least, she thought that until Thor skimmed over the incidents in New Mexico.

The one thing they didn't skim over or sugar-coat was Loki, the lunatic who attacked earth. They told her about all the people he killed and the evil he had done. Tony excused himself from the room when they started to tell her about the portal. He was so pale when the subject was brought up. When they finished telling her everything that happened, Natasha began explaining what was wrong with her.

Loki, Thor's brother, gave off the same energy signatures as her. It was discovered by accident, when an agent passed by her with a weird detector used to measure radiation a week ago. No one thought much of it until Christopher stuffed her in his car. A team of agents raided her apartment for anything out of the ordinary. Apparently, she was SHIELD's property until further notice.

This seemed to cement Steve's opinion of her. He shot glares at her every so often and avoided speaking with her. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would be snubbed by Captain America. But, according to Natasha, her case wasn't unheard of, so his hate was unjustified in Saniya's eyes. The same signatures were found in two twins in the sixties and there was nothing wrong with them. To be fair, though, there was something wrong with Saniya. Normal people could not turn back time, but she was never going to let them know she could do just that.

While the facts about Loki shocked her, she was more surprised to hear about Dorie. Natasha let slip —Saniya doubted it was accidental— that SHIELD had been targeting Dorie for recruitment for weeks. That revelation led to Saniya being investigated, which led to Natasha bringing up the fact that there was video evidence of her standing on top of bridges on multiple occasions.

Technically she was jumping off the bridges, not standing, but time was rewound each time so that there were hour long videos of her swaying on top of bridges throughout New York. Now the Avengers thought she was crazy, which didn't help her argument that she was nothing like Loki. Bruce wanted to do an assessment of her mental health in the morning.

 _"And in other news, a farmer outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana has reported that he was able to produce milk from the bulls on his farm. Isn't that odd, Richard?"_

 _"That is in fact very odd, Barbara. Bulls do not have udders so it should be impossible for the farmer to milk the animals. There is speculation of a new disease or an elaborate hoax, but Louisianian livestock owners have nothing to worry about; the best zoologists are on the case. All future updates will be reported here at New York's Fast News. And for our next story..."_

Clint groaned. He reached for the remote mumbling something about the decay of 'real news' reporting. As he pressed the buttons to change the channel, a small spark jumped, making the TV turn off and burning his thumb. Clint yelped and threw the remote across the room. The marksman growled, "I'm going to kill him." With a single jump, he was pounding through the floor for any sign of Tony.

Natasha calmly turned on the television, opting for the buttons on the side of the TV. She changed the channel manually to a mixed martial art fight. The volume was up all the way, but Thor snored on.

Saniya sighed. She stood up while making sure Thor was tucked under his blanket. Before Natasha could question where she was going, Saniya was out on the balcony with one thing in mind.

She leaned over the railing. The ground was miles away. Saniya hadn't jumped off something this high in years. Every cell in her body was aching for the freefall. It was a stressful day, after all, so she deserved something to make her happy.

Saniya gracefully tumbled over the railing. Loud sirens blared from nearby speakers and she heard the panicked questioning throughout the guest floor. The Avengers rushed to the railing. She waved as she fell further and further. The lights from the taxi cabs and neon lights grew closer. She wanted to touch them. Her chest tugged at something and everything was in reverse. Soon enough, her feet were planted on the balcony floor. Saniya marked her wrist with the marker in her back pocket.

The stress from today was swept away. It wasn't a typical way to relieve stress, but it did its job.

" _Miss Ramakrishna, my systems reported a drastic jump in your body temperature_ ," Jarvis reported. " _Do you require medical assistance?_ "

She waved off his concerns. "I'm fine. It's late, go home, Jarvis."

" _Miss, this is my home. Are you aware that I am an AI?_ " Something in his tone was mocking her, but he was polite nonetheless.

"AI?"

" _Artificial Intelligence. I am merely a program installed into the tower_."

This was almost enough to make her jump over the balcony again. "But... you can't be a robot," Saniya babbled. "You're sentient."

" _That depends on your personal definition of the word_."

She groaned. This was a good time to end her day. "Okay, this is too much for me. I'm going to bed. Night, Jarvis."

The balcony door opened automatically. " _Goodnight, Ms. Ramakrishna._ "

All the doors she needed to go through opened for her. Saniya did not have to lift a finger. Before she drifted off to sleep, she made a mental note to thank Jarvis in the morning.


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you everyone for your support! I love it when I get an email for a new review or alert. The last bit of this update feels a bit rushed to me, but the reasons that it went down like it did will be explained in the next update.**

 **Nik 1804: You're right about the SHIELD thing. For some reason, when I looked up what it meant, I used an older definition of SHIELD used in the comics. When I have the time, I'll go back and fix it. Thank you for letting me know :) I'm glad you like it!**

 **addicted2memories: Trust me, I have a lot planned for this story haha**

 **Potatoprincess: Thank you so much!**

* * *

Saniya rolled over in the bed. The blankets wrapped around her in a secure cocoon, one that was a safe haven in the mess called her life. Yesterday's events were in the back of her mind, but the bed kept her safe from her troubling thoughts. Nothing bad could possibly happen in a bed this soft. God bless Tony Stark and his good taste in mattresses.

She reached out for another pillow; there were hundreds on the bed if she remembered right. Instead of feeling feathery goodness, her hand collided with strands of hair. Saniya slowly opened her eyes, then screamed.

She scooted backward until she was at the edge of the bed. Saniya tumbled off the side, only to have two strong arms catch her.

Natasha sat up. Her red hair was perfectly straight and untangled, unlike Saniya's. The assassin smirked, showing off her teeth. "Good morning," she greeted.

"What are you doing in my bed?" Saniya gasped.

The person holding her up snickered. She tore herself from his grasp. Clint didn't try to stop her. "Actually, you're in our bed." One eyebrow rose. "Sleepwalker, huh?"

Saniya glanced around the room. The last time she saw the room Tony gave her, it was pitch black and she was drifting off to sleep. Despite the non-lucid observations the night before, she was certain that this was not the room she fell asleep in. The weapons were a dead giveaway. In all honesty, this was partly her fault for not telling anyone about her occasional tendencies to wake up in odd places.

She shrugged. "It's a nasty habit." Saniya winced as she remembered Christopher saying the same words yesterday.

Clint sniffed a shirt lying on the ground then pulled it on. "Well, let's just say that you scared the crap out of us when you walked in here like a zombie at midnight." His smirk grew. "You didn't strike me as a cuddler, but you proved me wrong." Her face grew hot. She wanted nothing more than to run from the room, but sometime after her screaming and Clint telling her what happened last night, Natasha moved between her and the door. There was no getting past her.

"Scared is a strong word, Clint," Natasha commented. "The report was quite extensive. I knew you sleepwalk every night," that was news to Saniya, "so I expected something like this. Clint's just freaked out that you called him Sammy and tried to kiss him."

"That didn't happen," Saniya protested. She looked at Clint for confirmation. "That didn't happen, right?" He only laughed as a reply.

Natasha leaned against the door. Her eyes trailed over Saniya's face. "While we still have you, Christopher O'Neill was found dead in his cell last night."

Her eyebrows drew together. "I didn't kill him if that's what you're trying to say."

Her two perfect eyebrows rose. "I was never going to accuse you of that. We already know what happened, I was merely informing you."

Saniya's hands fell to her hips. "Well? What happened?"

Natasha and Clint shared a look. Clint shrugged his shoulders. "Ehh, what's the harm in telling her? It's not like she can tell anyone while cooped up in the tower." He turned to her. "Agent Klemmer killed him."

"I don't get it. Why would—"

"And that is well beyond your clearance level," Natasha interrupted. She picked up a stack of clothes sitting on a chair against the wall. "Pepper dropped off some clothes. A SHIELD employee will be by your apartment this afternoon to pick up your stuff."

Saniya took the clothes from her. The material was soft in her hands, clearly worth more than she made in a month. All her clothing was years old and bought from a second-hand shop, so she held the clothes like it was a baby.

Natasha moved from the exit. Saniya decided that it was better to leave before it was too late.

"Saniya?" She turned around. "Our door will be locked tonight in case you decide to sneak into our room again." Natasha smirked.

Saniya gave her an apologetic grin. "Sorry, you guys. I can't help it."

Natasha shut the door. Saniya breathed a sigh of relief. Why would her subconscious bring her to —of all rooms— Clint and Natasha's? That seems like an easy way to be killed, and the last she checked, Saniya wasn't trying to earn a one-way ticket to the graveyard. But at least they were kind about it, and Natasha didn't freak her out as much (despite waking up next to her). Maybe the assassin was growing on her. Or maybe Saniya was just getting braver.

She went into her room and saw the signs of her sleepwalking. Her bed sheets were on the ground on the other side of the room. Sometime during the night, she ruffled through all the empty drawers and left a lamp on. She'd clean it later that day, Saniya vowed.

" _Ms. Ramakrishna?_ "

She jumped. "Jarvis?"

" _Dr. Banner requests that you are in Lab C23 in twenty minutes to start the health examination._ "

Her head slammed against the doorframe. "Tell him I'll be down in ten."

Saniya was true to her word. It took five minutes to slip into the pencil skirt and white blouse Pepper gave her. Then another two to tell herself how stupid she looked in the nice clothes while wearing dirty tennis shoes. The last three were spent finding the elevator, arguing with Jarvis to let her leave the tower, and walking to the lab.

It smelt sterile and hurt her nose. In the corner of the lab was a large glass room that had 'The Hulk Tank' scribbled on a piece of paper and taped to the glass. Several large screens sat unused throughout the lab, along with a number of equipment she didn't know the names of.

Bruce sat at a counter, tapping his computer. His shirt was rolled up to his elbows, oddly reminding her of Indiana Jones (he did have the sexy professor look going for him). Bruce's glasses sat on the tip of his nose. He slipped them back in place in one swift movement.

"So, doctor who isn't a medical doctor, how is this examination going to start?" she asked out of the blue.

He looked up. Bruce scanned her up and down. When he realized he didn't respond, his eyes snapped back to her face. "Just... ah... take a seat on the table." She did as she was told. "Did Pepper lend you her clothes?"

Saniya smiled. "Yep. That noticeable, huh?"

A small smile graced his lips. "She has a distinct style."

She scoffed. "Yeah, rich CEO millionaire style. How come I haven't met her?"

Bruce picked up a clipboard with a frown. "You haven't met Pepper yet?" She nodded. He took a seat in front of her. "She's probably just busy." Bruce clicked a pen against the clipboard. "I'm going to ask you a couple questions if that's okay."

"Go ahead."

He looked down at the clipboard. From what she saw, there was a checklist he had to go through. She felt sorry that SHIELD was forcing him to become her private doctor.

Bruce placed his pen by the first thing on the list. "Do you have any allergies?

"No."

"Any past surgeries?"

Her head lolled back. "Only my wisdom teeth."

"What about mental health problems? Recent or in the past?"

Her head snapped back to the upright position. "No," she insisted.

Bruce placed the clipboard on his lap. "It's okay. No one will think of you differently."

"I'm fine, mentally," she groaned.

He wasn't convinced. His chocolate eyes were wide and understanding; it made her sick. "Mental illness has a terrible stigma that you have to look past. I can help you." Bruce shook his head. "Well, _I_ can't. I'm not a psychologist, but SHIELD has people who can."

Her gaze hardened at the mention of the agency. "I don't trust SHIELD," she told him bluntly.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He nodded. "I don't trust SHIELD either."

"They hit you with a truck too?"

His laugh was quiet, as if he was afraid someone would hear him. "No, nothing like that." The doctor rubbed his hands together. His fingers finally stopped moving when he interlaced them. "Why do you stand on top of bridges?"

Saniya blushed. The reason was a bit embarrassing. Today must've been 'Embarrass Saniya' Day because her face was in a permanent flush. "I'm... I guess I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I like heights."

He stared for several seconds, like he expected her to burst out that she was kidding and list a bunch of symptoms, but slowly he understood that she was serious. Bruce wrote something down on the clipboard. No doubt this would be something he would bring up later. "What about your diet? Is it balanced?" he continued.

Her mouth turned into a grimace. "Not exactly."

Bruce looked up at her through his glasses. "Not exactly usually means no," he commented.

Saniya balanced her chin on her fist. "You've seen the kind of job I have. I barely get paid over minimum wage, added with the rising food prices because of the invasion, that means I can only afford to eat Ramen and mac and cheese."

"I heard milk and egg prices are going down, though," he added in an awkward attempt at small talk. He cleared his throat. "What about when Thor buys lunch? Are you eating protein and vegetables or fruits then?"

She thought back to all the times she had meals with her friend. Most of the time she picked at the pancakes and gave her leftovers to him. If she ate too much of the restaurant's food, she usually found herself puking all night. New York's Best was not a good restaurant, no matter what Thor thought. It was amazing that Thor hadn't died because of how much he ingested.

"Vegetables, yes. Protein, no. I avoid the meat sometimes out of habit," she told Bruce. "My parents were vegetarians, so it's ingrained in me to just avoid anything that is an animal's muscle."

"You need to have more protein," Bruce concluded. "I'm a vegetarian like your parents, so I normally eat beans and peanuts for that. Those help."

Her eyebrows drew together. "But I met you at a hot dog stand," she said.

Bruce's smile turned sheepish. The tips of his ears lit a slight pink. "Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I cheat," he quietly admitted.

Saniya held back a laugh. "Your reputation is safe with me. I won't tell anyone."

"I appreciate it," he said. Bruce took out a stethoscope from a drawer. He stuck the two ends in his ears. The doctor raised it to her chest but stopped. "May I?"

"Go ahead."

Just as he pressed the device on her skin, a woman with strawberry blonde hair and clothes very similar to the ones Saniya was wearing ran into the lab. She sighed in relief at the sight of Bruce. "Steve's arm might be broken," she hurried out.

He retracted back into his own personal space. "Broken?"

She nodded. Her lips curled into a grimace. "It's bent at a weird angle. Absolutely disgusting. Thor is carrying him here now."

Bruce's eyes grew wide. "He needs to go to a hospital. There's nothing I can do for him here. Pepper," so this was the generous woman with fancy clothes, "if it's broken, he needs a real doctor." His fingers flew to his pulse point.

Saniya tapped him with her foot. "You were that kind of doctor in India, right?" Bruce nodded. "So you can at least check if it's broken or not. It'd save him an unnecessary trip to the ER."

"I suppose," he said slowly. Bruce turned to Pepper. "What happened?"

Pepper blanched, but she covered it with a cough. Her eyes flickered to Saniya. There was a silent plead in her gaze. "You're not going to like it," she warned.

"What happened?" he repeated with more force.

The CEO moved to Saniya's side. Pepper's fingers curled around her wrist, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Bruce. Instead of freaking out that Pepper was worried of his reaction —as Saniya would have been— he stepped away from the two. His hand was practically glued to his neck.

Pepper took a deep breath. "Tony placed a tripwire outside the Captain's door. Steve didn't see it and fell on his arm."

Bruce's face looked green. Saniya thought he was going to puke. "Damnit!" He slammed his fist on the counter. Pepper edged away. "I told him that someone was going to get hurt if he didn't stop doing things like that!"

"Bruce? Are you okay?" Saniya asked. He whipped his head up to face her. For a second she thought he was going to hit her.

His Adam's apple bobbed. "Everything is under control," he strained out. Bruce exhaled through his mouth. The scientist loosened his fists. "Everything is under control," he repeated, more for his benefit than theirs.

"DR. BANNER, OUR CAPTAIN HAS BEEN GRAVELY INJURED," Thor yelled as he stormed through the lab. Steve sat in his arms, looking quite disgruntled. His arm was bent in a way it should not have been, almost resembling Christopher's. Though Saniya was not a naturally observant woman, she noticed that Tony was nowhere to be seen.

Bruce looked at the arm after Thor laid Steve on the table. There was no denying the state it was in. "That is definitely broken," he confirmed. "I don't need an x-ray to know that."

Pepper pulled out a phone. "I can arrange for a car to drive him to the hospital."

Steve struggled to sit up. "Ma'am, that is not necessary."

"Your arm is twisted all the way around, Steve. You will not argue with me," Pepper snapped.

Captain America shut his mouth without protest.

Within moments, Thor was carrying the soldier to the elevator. Pepper trailed close behind, quietly cursing Tony. He was bound to spontaneously combust with the way she was talking. Bruce was asked it he wanted to come along but declined. Nobody bothered to ask Saniya, as Steve wouldn't want her there in the first place and she couldn't leave the tower.

But she would have said no if she could go, anyways. She still had to figure out what Steve's issue with her was, and she wasn't going to do that while he was having a cast put on his arm. There was a time and place for demanding answers. Hospitals usually weren't that place.

Bruce sighed. His jaw was clenched "We'll continue this tomorrow." He was almost in a rush to get her out of the lab.

"Okay. Same place?"

"I'll have Jarvis let you know," he said, not paying much attention. Bruce practically pushed her out of the lab. The door locked behind her. Since Bruce had not been rude to her before, she decided that he probably wasn't intentionally starting now. Saniya decided to let his actions go. It had been a stressful couple of minutes.

* * *

Tony pried off the back of her phone. With a pair of tweezers, he pulled out a small microchip. He twirled it in front of him. "Just as I thought," he muttered. The billionaire smirked, which she was beginning to think was the only facial expression he had. "SHIELD deemed you important enough to record your calls."

Saniya eyed the small piece of technology. "Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head. "But not important enough to replace the transmitter when it malfunctioned your phone." Tony waved it in her face. "Congratulations on your first bug! Soon you'll be finding hundreds of them, just like me!" he shouted to the ceiling.

" _Sir, there are no detectable listening devices on this floor_."

He rolled his eyes. "'Detectable' being the key word. SHIELD has gotten fancy with its espionage devices. Jarvis, remind me to update your sensors."

" _Of course, Sir._ "

Saniya rested her chin in her hands. The shot glass the billionaire handed her sat at her feet, along with the rest of the alcohol Tony smuggled in. "So, is now a good time to ask why you are hiding in my bathroom?"

"Technically, it's my bathroom," he corrected. "I don't remember you putting any money into this tower."

She sighed. "Okay, let me rephrase that. Why are you hiding in your bathroom?"

Tony pointed his finger. "You learn fast, kiddo." He tilted his head in mock thoughtfulness. "I wouldn't refer to this as hiding, but instead as camping out, for everyone's self-interest."

"Sounds like you're only looking out for your own self-interest," she lectured.

He scoffed at her. "Don't lecture me on looking out for myself. Not when you turned down the marriage proposal from that dashing accountant to run away with your one true love. Plus, haven't you heard of not biting the hand that feeds you? I can take away food privileges."

Saniya kicked him. The threat held no weight, though. The last thing Tony wanted was to starve her to death. "Stop talking about something you don't know anything about," she grumbled.

"The SHIELD file was quite extensive," he said.

"I bet it wasn't extensive enough," she retorted. Saniya shuffled in her spot on the floor. "I didn't love him," Saniya muttered.

Tony held an ear up to his head. "What was that?"

She felt like kicking him again. "I didn't love him, okay? The reason I dropped everything was not for him, so stop talking like it was."

The billionaire's eyes sparkled. "So, if you didn't do it for him then you did it for...""Myself," she groaned.

"Myself," she groaned.

Tony crossed his arms. "Then you know that feeling when you need to look after yourself. This is necessary. I have to wait for everyone to cool down to make my grand reappearance."

Saniya shook her head after several moments of silence. "Y'know, that was a really big stretch to make, between an arranged marriage and avoiding being yelled at."

He shrugged. "I still made my point, didn't I?"

A smile fought its way to her face. "You kind of proved mine with you looking out for yourself instead of thinking of everyone else."

His lips pursed. "I guess I did," he conceded. "But me being selfish is a necessary evil. Poor Cap and Bruce have the worst anger management skills. Their blood pressure won't take it. In a way, I'm doing them a favor."

" _Ms. Ramakrishna, a SHIELD employee is here with things from your apartment. Would you like for me to send her up to this floor?_ " the AI cut in.

"Sure. Thanks, Jarvis."

" _My pleasure. Ms. Hughes will be on the floor in fifteen seconds._ "

Ms. Hughes? Did that mean Dorie was here?

She left Tony behind, who had begun to have a nice conversation with his invention. The AI must be nice company when he didn't have anyone else to talk to.

Saniya stood in front of the elevator, hands on her hips and chin high. Natasha inspired her to be intimidating, so she mimicked her pose. She had the full intention to call Dorie out for everything. Saniya was going to get answers, one way or another.

Thor looked away from the cat commercial. "Lady Saniya? I believe you must press the elevator buttons to have it carry you," he said from his spot on the couch.

"I'm waiting for someone to come up," she told him. "Dorie's here with my stuff."

The doors slid open just as she finished her sentence. Dorie looked different. Not a physical difference, her hair was still in the same lazy hairstyle and she wasn't more muscular or anything, but in the air she carried herself with. There was more purpose in her gaze. Something about it reminded her of Agent Klemmer and the other SHIELD agents she saw in her short time at the warehouse. Dorie was a woman on a mission.

Despite the new employment, she still had her grungy sweatshirt and jeans. Her shoes were the same she wore to work every day. Three boxes sat on the floor of the elevator and one in her hands.

"Hello, agent," Saniya mocked. Her lips pressed into two straight lines.

Dorie caught on to the tension. "I'm not an agent, just a research assistant," she corrected. "Hi, Thor."

Thor was about to reply when Saniya cut him off. "Thor doesn't want to say hi to you. He's upset about you never telling me you are a part of the mafia."

Her ex-coworker rolled her eyes. "SHIELD's not the mafia."

"Close enough," Saniya said. She eyed the boxes. "Are those my clothes?"

Dorie pushed them out of the elevator. The doors closed behind her. "Yes, and anything else I thought you'd need." She picked up a box. "Which room do you want these in?"

Saniya frowned. She picked up the other two boxes, stacking one above the other. "I can do it myself," she snapped.

"It's faster this way," Dorie pointed out.

Since it seemed that Dorie wasn't going to let her take the boxes, she led the way to her temporary room. In her eyes, bringing all her stuff to Stark Tower was useless. Saniya was not going to stay for long. She'd let SHIELD record all the data they want then she was going to go back to her life. It would be a week, tops, assuming that they didn't discover her ability.

When they were in her room, Dorie slammed the door shut. "Okay, did I do something to make you angry or what?" She crossed her arms.

Saniya slammed the box on the bed. " _Of course_ you did something. Why would you ever join SHIELD? They're all insane!" Saniya's hands clenched. "They are the ones who censored everything. There were _aliens_ on earth and SHIELD is blocking all that information. It's like... I don't know... it's like we're living in a government conspiracy!"

"Well, I like working for them," Dorie snarled, quick to fight back. She took a long breath. Her voice was quieter the next time she spoke. "They make me feel smart and important. I haven't felt that way in a long time."

Saniya crinkled her nose. "Are you kidding me? You were smart long before SHIELD came along."

The woman faltered. Dorie's shoulders slumped. "I only have a perfect memory, Sani, not intelligence," she explained. Suddenly the end of her shirt was incredibly interesting. "SHIELD's helping me with my learning disorder and—"

"Wait, what?" This was the first time she ever mentioned a disorder.

Dorie sighed. "It's Executive Function Disorder, okay? They're helping me manage it." The frustration returned in her eyes. "I don't care if you have some vendetta against SHIELD, I made the choice to work for them. You didn't even know what SHIELD was when I accepted the offer. I couldn't tell you anyways."

"Yeah, but... but..." Saniya felt her anger fizzle out. She couldn't come up with a good explanation for why she was furious with Dorie. At the start of the fight, everything made sense. Being angry at Dorie was the reasonable thing to be. Dorie was a part of the organization that almost killed her and successfully killed others. Now, Saniya wasn't so sure. She lifted her chin. "But they hit me with a truck. Is that a kind of organization you want to work for? You have to quit."

Dorie ran her hands through her hair. She yanked the bedroom door open. "No! I don't care what you think about my job. I like it and that's all the matters." Dorie spared one last glance over her shoulder. "Word of advice, don't try to pick fights with people who are trying to help you."

Saniya stood for several seconds, still a little dazed. When Tony accidentally knocked over some shampoo bottles in the bathroom, she broke out of it. She rushed from the room. Dorie violently pushed the button to the elevator.

"Dorie, I..." Am sorry? Sure, she was sorry to have forced a fight between them, but until she figured out what exactly set her off, a sorry seemed meaningless. She let her apology die on her lips.

Dorie stepped into the elevator with a glare. The doors shut and her ex-roommate was heading down to the lobby.

Saniya rubbed her face. "Shit," she swore, "what is wrong with me?"


	8. Chapter 7

**Thank you everyone for your support. I love every one of you!**

 **major-fangirl-inhere17: I'm so happy you do! Thank you :)**

 **Nik1804: I didn't want to hurt poor Steve, but you're right when you say it make things more interesting haha. Steve is still human and we have to remember that. More of her back story is coming up!**

 **addicted2memories: There will be tons more Bruce/Saniya interactions to come!**

* * *

It took an hour of watching Thor ignore her for Clint to realize the reason why she reacted so badly that afternoon: she was jealous of SHIELD.

The thought was crazy, but it started to make sense the longer she thought it over. Dorie and Saniya were not exactly friends (their relationship was more accurately described as convenient teammates), but Saniya felt a degree of protectiveness of her. SHIELD was slowly taking Dorie away and she felt the need to fight back.

Of course fighting back accidently meant pushing her further away. And to give Saniya some credit, it wasn't just jealousy that made her angry. There was a more rational reason for her attack: Saniya was terrified for Dorie. She had trouble following instructions. What if she didn't obey orders and SHIELD decided Dorie wasn't worth keeping around? A job at SHIELD was one someone had for the rest of their life, whether it ended with them in a ditch or dying peacefully in their sleep.

And who could forget her bitterness towards the organization? They nearly _killed_ her. In some ways, it was a betrayal for Dorie to take the job. Not only treason against her, but of everyone on earth. SHIELD was keeping vital information from every person on the globe. That pissed Saniya off more than the truck incident. If she ever meets the person in charge, she was going to unleash all her frustration on him or her.

A side of her didn't want to apologize, but it was the right thing to do. Dorie wasn't some toy she didn't want to share with the other kids. She was a human being who could make her own choices.

Saniya vowed to call her that night. She still didn't approve of her career, but if she was in Dorie's good graces, maybe she could convince her to find another job before she was in too deep. Saniya viewed the situation as taking the morally high road while at the same time using good ol' manipulation.

Thor roared again at Clint's joke. Saniya held back a cringe. It was childish of her to temporarily hate Clint for sucking up all of Thor's attention. She wasn't his only friend, after all, and she needed to stop acting like it.

She glanced over her shoulder, trying to find a spot where she could join in. Pepper lounged on the end of the couch while whispering into her phone. Tony was probably on the other end of the line. Thor took up a quarter of the couch with his broad shoulders and waving hands. Clint sat next to him and Natasha laid her feet on his lap. She used the rest of the couch for her resting body.

Saniya realized that she didn't fit into the picture. From what she could tell, she was never supposed to be in Stark Tower. SHIELD only put her here to keep Thor's cooperation. A happy Norse god was a helpful one.

"Dagnabbit," Steve muttered under his breath. He was in charge of dinner. Steve chose spaghetti, but he must've never realized that straining the noodles was difficult to do with one useable arm. The super soldier tried to pick up the two-handled pot, almost spilling boiling water on the ground.

She stood up from the kitchen table. Steve looked so helpless, and she was a sucker for playing the hero. "Do you need help?" she asked.

His sharp gaze landed on her. "No, ma'am. I do not," Steve said.

He tried again. This time, he almost burned himself.

This was just sad. Saniya nudged him away and strained the noodles herself. The soldier glared the entire time.

She slammed the pot on a pad. There was no better time than now to confront him for something that had been bothering her for hours.

"I'm not Locky, okay? I'd like for you to stop treating me like I am," Saniya snapped.

Steve blinked. "Pardon?"

Saniya jabbed Steve in the chest. The anger almost fizzled when she felt his muscle. "I know you hate me, but you hate me because you think I'm going to magically turn into Locky and destroy New York again. I'm not him and I never will be," she rambled passionately. "If you're going to hate me, fine! But hate me for me and not the energy junk I give off."

He stared for several moments, then his lips curled into an amused smile. This was the nicest look he had ever given her. Steve was adorable when he grinned. Like a puppy. "Ma'am, do you mean Loki?"

"That's what I said."

Steve shook his head. "You said Locky," he corrected. "His name is pronounced Loki."

Her nose crinkled. She didn't care what his name was. "Is that seriously what you picked out of this conversation?" Saniya questioned. "Because I can rephrase everything for you."

His eyes momentarily widened. "No, ma'am. I apologize if that was the impression I gave you. I understand the point you made, and... it's valid."

That was close enough to an official apology to soothe her anger. She nodded with satisfaction. "The sauce is boiling over," she pointed out. The Captain was quick to pull if off the stove. "Do you need any more help?" she offered.

"No," he said. There was no thank you, but at least the glares stopped. The effects of her confrontation were instantaneous.

Saniya sat back at the table. There wasn't a second of peace before Jarvis called out her name. A mix of relief flashed through her. Sitting in silence with her thoughts as her only company was not how she liked to spend her time.

"Yes, Jarvis?"

" _Dr. Banner is currently working in the lab. It would be appreciated if you would encourage him to come to dinner_ ," Jarvis said.

She glanced over to the Avengers. It seemed like a lot of their time was taken up by the huge television. None of them were paying attention to Jarvis or Saniya.

"Why doesn't someone else get him?" she asked. "They would have an easier time getting him up here."

" _Quite the opposite, miss. Perhaps a new point of view will convince him to take a break_."

Since she didn't want to sit there until Steve finished dinner and no one —other than Jarvis— was making an attempt to talk to her, she figured there was no harm in seeing the doctor. The worst that could happen would be him saying no.

"I'll do my best," she told the AI.

" _That's all that is expected of you_."

Saniya rode down to the floor with the labs. Several Stark employees passed by with arms full of papers, but other than that, the floor was empty. And the few that did pass her gave her a swift nod and a 'good afternoon'. She assumed it was the clothes that made her look important enough to not ignore. It was a shame that Pepper wanted them back.

Bruce was in the same lab as in the morning. There were several more coffee cups than she remembered. The previously lifeless screens were buzzing with information. One had a double helix model and another was scrolling with thousands of names. He sat at a counter looking into a microscope. Even from at the entrance of the lab, she could see the clear slide with a large circle of blood.

She cleared her throat then stepped further into the room. Bruce glanced up.

Saniya pointed upwards. "Steve's almost finished with dinner."

He rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "No thank you," he replied then peered through the microscope.

Jarvis didn't send her down here to accept his 'no' so quickly. Saniya moved so she was right next to him. "You sure?" she drawled. "It's probably going to be soap-opera worthy. You won't want to miss that."

That got him to look away from the slide. He cocked one eyebrow. "Soap-opera worthy?"

She nodded. "I'm guessing it will be more like an intervention than dinner."

His forehead creased. "An intervention for Tony?" Bruce's eyes twinkled with faint amusement. Saniya nodded again, even though she wasn't sure if the billionaire was going to show up. It caught the scientist's interest, so she was going to run with it. "He isn't going to like that."

She tapped his ankle with her foot. "That's why you need to be there. You have this calming vibe around you."

A shy smile broke out on his face. Bruce ducked his head. "I've never heard anyone describe me as calming," he admitted. "I normally cause more stress than relaxation."

Saniya didn't know why he thought that. The tone of his voice was so smooth it could make a baby fall asleep in a matter of minutes. Plus, he had an almost boyish charm to him, despite what the salt and pepper hair implied about his age. He was the epitome of calming.

She tugged his arm. "C'mon," Saniya insisted. "You've been in the lab all day. You have to eat something."

There was little protest on Bruce's part. He allowed her to pull him out of the lab and into the elevator. Jarvis immediately brought them back to the living floor where the Avengers were just starting to be seated. She claimed the spot next to Thor before anyone else could. The way he beamed at her made her wish she had a sibling growing up. She imagined this was what it felt like.

"I'll get Tony," Pepper sighed. She disappeared into the hallway. Steve scratched his green cast with a scowl.

Saniya absently twirled spaghetti around her fork. Just as she brought the utensil to her mouth, she realized no one else had touched their dinner. Well, except for Thor, but did he really count? He also eventually noticed the absence of eating and set his fork on the table.

Natasha cleared her throat. She brought her hands into a steeple. "Bruce, have you finished analyzing the blood samples yet?" Her tone was refined and controlled. She meant business instead of nice small talk.

He rested his hands under the table. "Not yet. The system takes a while to compare the DNA." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I've been meaning to ask how SHIELD has all that data."

Her lips curled into a devious smirk. "It wasn't all acquired with consent if that's what you want to know."

Bruce gulped and his gaze fell to his lap. "That's what I was afraid of."

Saniya stopped her eyes from rolling. This just placed more basis in her mafia argument. Illegal information to do illegal things. SHIELD was now another word for crime organization in her head.

Tony rounded the corner. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Steve, who returned with a vicious glower. Pepper nudged the billionaire with her elbow. Tony winced.

"Alright, listen up, Capsicle." Steve stiffened. "I'm sorry for busting up your arm," Tony apologized. He rubbed his hands together. "Now, let's eat!"

"Tony," Pepper protested. "This isn't just about hurting Steve." She led him to the chair at the head of the table. Her hands massaged his shoulders. "We came to talk to you about your latest pranks."

His eyebrows drew together. Suddenly, he jumped from the chair. "Oh no. This is an intervention," he stated. "I've had plenty of those from Pepper to know when I see one."

Clint rocked his chair back. "You've gone too far, man."

Pepper ran her hand down Tony's arm. "Sit down," she urged gently. He remained standing and Pepper didn't push any further. "We just want you to stop with the pranks."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Come on, they're fun!" The group stayed silent. He waved his hand. "All of you have a giant stick up your butt. Lighten up!"

Bruce frowned. He absently moved his silverware with his fingers. "It started out lighthearted, but now you're actually hurting us."

Clint nodded. He held out his fingers as proof. "That thing with the remote nearly burned my prints off!"

Pepper linked her hand with Tony's. "Steve doesn't need further explaining, I hope. And remember what happened after your saran wrapped Bruce to his bed? That floor was almost finished and he completely destroyed it."

Bruce grimaced. "Sorry."

She smiled. "Don't be sorry, Bruce. It wasn't your fault."

Tony's jaw clenched. "It was my fault then, is that what you're trying to say? All of this is my fault?"

Steve slammed his fist on the table. The silverware rattled. "It is your fault, Tony. It's about time that you take responsibility for your actions."

"I saved New York!" he barked. "I saved this entire city! Don't you think I deserve to have a little fun every once in a while without being blamed for every bad thing that happens in this tower?" His face paled several shades. "I was the one who stopped New York from being the Chernobyl of North America!"

Natasha calmly folded her napkin. She was the only one unfazed by his yelling. "Calm down, Tony. We can't have a rational discussion with the way this is going."

Steve readily agreed. "You have to calm yourself."

"I don't take orders from you," Tony sneered at the Captain. His eyes turned cold. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go somewhere none of you are not because I can't stand to be here any longer." He stormed towards the elevator, the entire time Pepper calling out to him. Tony ordered Jarvis to shut the elevators right before she could get in with him.

Pepper stared blankly at the closed door for several moments. "I'll... talk to him. I will," she told the Avengers plus Saniya.

Something made her think that talking to Tony about something was easier said than done. Pepper knew that, the Avengers knew that, everyone knew that. Obviously bringing the group together to confront him didn't work. Maybe the billionaire responded better to one-on-one chats. But then again, she didn't know him. Who was she to say what Tony needed?

"That went well," Clint muttered. He pushed a meatball across his plate.

None of the Avengers made a move to go after Tony. Not even Pepper, who sat down at the table. Without so much as a discussion of what to do next, everyone started eating.

It struck a chord with her when she realized no one was chasing after him. Her mouth screwed into a sour frown. "Isn't anyone going to go after him?"

They shared a look. Pepper sat her silverware on the table. "Tony needs time to calm down. He needs his space sometimes," she said. Despite her all-knowing tone, her shoulders slumped with worry.

"I just think that someone should make sure he is okay," Saniya protested. "People don't storm out of rooms because they're fine."

"Jarvis will alert us if anything is wrong," Natasha reasoned. "He's just being Tony. He'll be fine."

Her fingers ran over the tick mark on her wrist. "But he can override Jarvis. Right? He created Jarvis, so he should be able to do that."

" _That is correct. He can override any of my actions_ ," the AI confirmed.

Thor immediately picked up on her thought process, on the unspoken words. He peered towards the elevator. "Are you suggesting that Man of Iron will be in some sort of trouble?"

She shook her head. "I'm just suggesting that someone should check on him."

Bruce pushed his plate away. The meal was barely touched. "I'll find him," he announced. "He'll be less likely to yell at me."

Clint twiddled his knife between his fingers. "Please no Code Green, alright?"

The doctor gave him a wry smile. "I've gone three weeks without an incident. I don't plan on breaking the streak just yet."

Bruce left the table to find Tony in the large tower. Steve and Thor occasionally glanced at the elevator but made no move to follow him. The table reverted back to what it was like before Saniya spoke up.

Her heart empathized with the billionaire. She once had been in his position —not the exact situation, but similar in the way people brushed them off— and it didn't feel good.

The Avengers must not have realized how much indifference hurts other people, or perhaps they thought not making a big deal out of it was the easiest thing to do. Whatever it was, they weren't being very good teammates. She expected more from them.

* * *

Saniya pressed the phone to her ear right as she shut the last drawer in her room. Dorie had to be home by now. Every night at eleven she would sit in front of the tv, chewing gum and playing snake on her phone. She was a creature of habit. There was no way Dorie would not know she was calling.

If she didn't answer, then she was ignoring Saniya. Hopefully, she wouldn't do that. She needed a chance to explain herself.

The dial tone stopped. "... _Saniya_?"

She breathed out in relief. Dorie answered. That was more than she expected. "I shouldn't have freaked out at you this afternoon," Saniya confessed as she plopped on the bed.

There was the typical smack of gum. " _Yeah, you really shouldn't have_ ," Dorie responded.

She rolled to her stomach. "It's just that—"

" _Oh boy, here we go._ "

"Shut it. I'm trying to explain myself," Saniya spoke into her now working phone.

A long pause of silence passed before Dorie said anything. "If this is a calmer repeat of our fight, then please just save it."

"It's not," Saniya interrupted. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to form sentences in her head that wouldn't make Dorie hang up. "I'm scared. I'm really scared," she admitted. "From what I can tell, SHIELD isn't this giant ball of honesty and good intentions. What do you even know about them?"

" _I have a low clearance, so of course I don't know much. I do know that they are trying to help. That's enough for me_."

That was something Natasha stressed when Saniya first heard of the organization. SHIELD was there to help, they were the good guys, etc., etc. "Help who? Corrupt politicians? Orphan children? Nobody's really clear on who they are helping,"

Dorie laughed at her. It was mocking, but not mean. " _This is so you to get worked up about this_ ," she chuckled. A couple hours ago she was yelling at Saniya for hating SHIELD, but now she was amused by it. Saniya bit her lip to keep herself from pointing out the contradiction. " _They help anyone who needs it. That's all they're obsessed with. First day on the job and they have me looking over this professor's notes. Apparently they're trying to stop the impending Armageddon_."

"Wait, what professor?" Saniya asked out of curiosity.

" _Just some guy in India. He refused to work for SHIELD for some stupid reason and now I'm filling the spot as the research consultant until someone more qualified is found_."

Saniya shook her head, even though Dorie wasn't able to see her. "Should you be telling me this? This feels like classified information."

" _You're the one who asked. Plus, it's just basic information_ ," Dorie retorted. " _It's not like I'm telling you anything juicy like how Agent Klemmer might be plotting to murder you like she did with that one guy_."

"Dorie, stop talking!" Saniya nearly yelled. If her phone was tapped, Dorie's most likely was too. SHIELD was listening, whether they liked it or not. The last thing she wanted was for Dorie to get in trouble for saying too much. She was so concerned with the information slip that it almost didn't register that someone was trying to kill her until the last second. "She's trying to kill me?" she squeaked.

Dorie shuffled something in the background. " _Not yet. She's dead set on you being part of Hydra. Keeps yapping that the Greek mythology book in your apartment is a sign and a bunch of other conspiracy crap. She's been doing deep digging on your past. Agent Klemmer has a big grudge against Hydra_."

Her hand ran down her face. "Should you really be telling me this?" Saniya repeated.

" _Nope_!" Dorie chirped. " _But if someone was possibly plotting to murder me, you'd do the same_." She sighed. " _Just be careful, okay? Whether we agree about SHIELD or not, I don't want you dead_."

"I don't want you dead either," she admitted. Saniya pressed the phone tighter to her ear. "You need to be careful too."

" _SHIELD won't hurt me_."

"Don't give them a reason to. Keep your head low and follow orders."

Dorie sighed. " _Saniya, quit it. I'm fine_."

Saniya rubbed her temple with her loose hand. "I'm worried, okay? I'm fucking worried. Humor me, please."

" _You're worse than my mother. At least she was happy for my career change_ ," Dorie mentioned bitterly. " _I'll be careful. I promise. Oh, before you go, SHIELD is paying our rent now. That might change after they realize that you're the most normal person on this planet, but we're living for free for a while_."

Well, at least they had the courtesy to do that. Her opinion of SHIELD grew slightly higher. "What about the restaurant. Has he fired me for not coming in?"

" _I haven't been back to that stink hole, but from what I can tell from the voicemails, we're both seriously fired_."

Dang it. Maybe Tony would let her borrow a computer for job searching. Once SHIELD let her go, she would need some source of income. Saniya had enough money to survive a month or two unemployed —provided she move into a shelter or sell all her furniture— but it wasn't an ideal way of life.

" _There's several job openings in SHIELD if you're interested_ ," Dorie teased, knowing exactly the direction her mind went.

Saniya rolled her eyes. "No way. I'm never working for them." She moved the phone to her other ear. "Call me later this week so I know you aren't dead for telling me about Agent Klemmer."

" _Whatever keeps you calm. Bye._ "

"Bye."

* * *

Saniya woke up on Thor's floor, her face smashed against the soft carpet and feet halfway up his bed. Her back was curled in an uncomfortable 'u' shape. Saniya rolled her legs off of the bed and quickly regretted that decision. Every inch of her spine screeched in protest.

Thor snored on. It was doubtful that he knew she was here. He was a deep sleeper.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hammer sitting on the floor by his nightstand. Saniya smirked. He'd never let her hold it before, always brushing it off with sentences like 'it's too heavy for you' and 'you don't want to hold it, anyways'.

Her fingers brushed against the handle. A small crackle of electricity jumped between the pads of her fingers and the hammer. It felt alive.

She circled the weapon. There was an odd vibration coming from it. It wasn't one she felt with her body, as it wasn't actually vibrating, but she felt it with her mind. It reached out to her, mocking her with a challenge it knew she wouldn't win. Saniya shook her head. Hammers aren't alive nor do they mock people. That was crazy.

Saniya touched the handle again. Then, she pulled with all her might.

It didn't move an inch.

She tried again and it didn't move.

Thor picked it up so effortlessly. It couldn't have been that heavy. Sure, he was a buff Norse god, but that didn't mean the hammer weighed a million pounds. She could do this.

"Come on, come on, come on!" she growled as she pulled the hammer again.

"I regret to inform you that you are not worthy enough for Mjolnir _._ "

She jumped at Thor's voice. Saniya looked up at him. His hair was tangled around his head, much like hers, and his eyes were drooping. Thor was sitting up in the bed with an amused smile on his face, halfway stuck in dreamland."What do you mean by I'm not worthy?" She placed her hands on her hips.

"What do you mean by I'm not worthy?" She placed her hands on her hips.

Thor rolled out of bed and lifted the hammer. There was no effort on his part. "It means... that you are not worthy of the hammer," he responded.

"That hammer is wrong," she said. "I'm plenty worthy." Thor broke out into a chuckle. Saniya couldn't help but smile too. She slapped his arm. "I am," she insisted.

He ruffled her hair. "I believe you, Lady Saniya. Perhaps Mjolnir _is_ wrong about your worthiness," Thor joked. His head lolled back. Sleep was threatening to claim him again.

" _Miss Ramakrishna, I see you are awake, though not in your proper room_ ," Jarvis commented.

She turned her head towards the ceiling. "I sleepwalk."

" _I am very aware. There are several videos in my database of you wandering the halls last night. Captain Rogers was kept awake because of your pacing_."

She winced. She was bothering him even when she was asleep. "Tell him that I'll try not to sleepwalk in front of his door again," she said with the slightest bit of sarcasm.

" _As you wish. Dr. Banner is in the labs if you wish to finish your examination. He is ready for you at any convenient time_."

It was better to get it done at that moment than procrastinating. Saniya stood while rolling her shoulders. "I'll be down in a jiffy."

Thor furrowed his eyebrows. "What is a jiffy? I am not familiar with that term."

"It just means a really quick," she told him.

A part of her wanted to take this moment and tell Thor to give her more attention, to not ignore her like yesterday, but that was horrendously selfish. Something a selfish, passive-aggressive friend would do. Sure, she was both passive-aggressive and selfish, but that didn't mean she could act like it.

Saniya tapped her fingers on the door frame, right before she exited the room. "Do you wanna smash things with your hammer after I get back? she suggested. "I think I saw a watermelon in the fridge."

Thor blinked his eyes back open. "Whatever you think... is... best," he yawned. He was bound to fall asleep at any second. Saniya took that as a yes. She skipped back to her room. Thor and Saniya (the best friend duo) was back after a minor hiatus.

Dorie was kind enough to label the box with her clothes. When she opened it, though, she realized that Dorie hadn't bothered to fold them. It was better than nothing, Saniya supposed. She picked out the least wrinkled shirt and jeans to wear. The rest needed to be ironed.

The trip to the labs was uneventful, except for catching a glimpse of sweaty, shirtless Steve returning from the gym. She didn't understand why he bothered to go with a broken arm, but she was glad for it. His body was glorious, like staring at a gladiator returning from a fight. Saniya nearly burst out laughing, however, when she noticed the fist-sized bruise on his sternum. It looked like Natasha's handiwork.

The lab seemed the same as the last time she was there. Bruce was in the same spot, this time leaning over a holographic projection of the tower. He looked busy.

"I can come back later," she offered.

He looked up from his work. His hair was disheveled, making his curly locks messy. Had he slept since she last saw him?

Bruce slit his hand through the hologram. The image disappeared. "No, now is perfect." He curled his left hand around his right. "Do you mind if we skip the routine check up and go right to the blood work?"

Saniya sat on the table. "What? Wanna get me out of here as soon as possible?"

"Yes," he sighed. He slipped a pair of latex gloves over his fingers. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that. You're nice company. There's just a lot of work to do, that's all," Bruce rushed out.

She leaned back. He was blushing. Cute. "I'm just teasing, Dr. Banner." Saniya noticed the needle and other supplies in his hand. "What are you planning to do with my blood?"

Bruce made his way to her. "Analyze it. See if it gives us any answers." He straightened her arm then prepared to tie a tourniquet. "May I?"

"Is SHIELD going to have my blood after you?"

His brown eyes turned downward. "I'll have to send it to them, yes."

Saniya threw her head back in frustration. Now or never. She preferred never, but SHIELD wouldn't let that be an option. "Just do it," she groaned.

Bruce was methodical with his approach. He tied the tourniquet quickly then instructed her to make a fist. His gentle fingers skimmed her arm until he found a vein. Bruce pulled her skin taut with two fingers while his other hand held the needle.

"There might be a slight pinch," he warned. Saniya refused to look down as the needle was inserted. She kept her eyes up, tracing each strand of his hair with her gaze.

His eyebrows furrowed. "You don't like needles?"

"Hate them," she strained.

Bruce thought for several moments. "Tony has agreed to stop the pranks," he told her.

Saniya's eyes widened. Her face turned down to face his. "Really? What did you say to him?"

His gaze flickered from her face to her arm. "Why do you assume I said anything?"

She tapped his leg with her swinging foot. "Come on. Of course you convinced him. If anyone can, it's you." Saniya caught his questioning look. She resisted the urge to tap him with her foot again. "People value your opinion around here. You seem level headed and smart, so why wouldn't he listen?"

Bruce pushed his glasses back. "I'm not sure about level headed, but thank you."

"Give yourself mo—" she yelped as he removed the needle "—re credit."

He shrugged. "I did say a few things, but Tony came to the decision himself. It's a big step towards being somewhat responsible." Bruce dumped the needle in a biohazard waste basket and placed the vial of blood in what looked like a mini fridge. "When you feel ready, we'll measure the radiation in the Hulk tank."

"I'm fine," she decided. Saniya jumped off the table, only to stumble into Bruce's side. The only thing keeping her from completely falling was his arms. "Sorry," she apologized. Saniya straightened herself. Her head throbbed from the blood loss, but it quickly subsided. "I'm fine now."

Bruce cleared his throat. His hands lingered by the spot she fell on. "Do you need help?" he asked as she walked towards the glass enclosure.

"No. I don't need any help."

She yanked on the handle. It didn't open. Saniya was willing to bet that she didn't have access to this part of the tower either. Bruce tugged the handle and the door flew open. Her stomach rolled. Smart people do not enter cages they can't get out of.

Her foot held the door open. "You'll let me out, right?"

Bruce flicked on a panel. "Of course." He stroked the nape of his neck. "Are you claustrophobic? If you are, I'm sure SHIELD has other devices to measure—"

She shook her head. He interpreted her hesitance as something else. "I'm not claustrophobic." _I just don't trust you to let me out_. Saniya mentally scolded herself. Bruce had done nothing to deserve her distrust. With that in mind, she stepped into the Hulk tank.

Her hands pressed against the thick glass. The view through the clear wall was distorted and bubbly. Maybe this wasn't glass after all. "So this thing measures radiation?"

Bruce tapped something and a device spun above her. "That's not its only use, but yes."

The whirling grew louder. She wiped her hands against her jeans. "Is this thing safe?" Saniya hoped it wouldn't give her cancer or anything.

"I wouldn't put you in it if it wasn't," he answered.

Data flashed on the screen. An outline of her body appeared with bright red and orange streaks around her. Bruce frowned. Whatever he saw, it was not good. Saniya suddenly regretted getting into there in the first place, despite knowing what was going to happen. This just validated SHIELD's decision to keep her prisoner.

The device above her grew quieter until it was nothing more than a hum. Bruce tapped the screen several more times then looked up at her. His expression was the same as when she first arrived at Stark Tower: she was a puzzle to figure out.

She knocked on the glass. "Can you let me out now?"

Bruce broke his stare. He pulled open the door. Saniya immediately took three large steps from the enclosure. "Any other tests I need to go through?"

"No, that's all for now."

Saniya let out a sigh of relief. She was free for the time being.

* * *

The program was almost completed with the DNA analysis. It was moving much faster than any device used by the United States government. Bruce couldn't help but wonder how much help this would be if it was opened to the public. Crimes would be solved much faster with the quick DNA analysis. So many criminals would be caught.

But, like all good things, SHIELD had to hoard it.

There were only fifty names left with high match percentages to the blood that rained from the sky in Texas. He was confident it belonged to one of those people, but he had been wrong before. It was better to keep an open mind than to make premature decisions.

Bruce removed Saniya's DNA and inserted it into the database through a series of codes. The computer chimed when the upload was complete. It was a miracle hers wasn't already in the program as it had several billion samples in the database.

"Bruuuuuce?"

He dipped his head. Last night, Tony claimed the pranks was a distraction. From what, he wouldn't tell, but it was important to him. Important enough to push away his teammates.

 _I can't be alone with my thoughts, Bruce. I need this. I need to keep doing something!_

Bruce shivered at the desperation in Tony's voice. In return for stopping the pranks, Tony needed a new distraction, which involved bothering Bruce while he worked.

The screen blinked on with life. Tony's face lit up the square. He was wearing his suit while doing... something. He hoped it wasn't anything illegal.

He straightened his back. "Please tell me you're still inside the tower," Bruce pleaded.

"Relax, I'm just a couple floors above you. Who knew that construction is much quicker in my suits?" Tony bit the inside of his cheek. "What do you think? A light calming blue or tan for the personal lab?"

"Tony."

"Pepper would like tan. More professional and that sort of stuff, but I'm feeling the blue."

"Tony."

The billionaire nodded his head. "I agree. Blue it is."

"I need to work," Bruce protested. "In peace."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You work better in chaos. I'll gladly provide that."

Bruce sighed. "I have a lot to do and I can't do it with—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta figure out what's wrong with our personal Loki enigma, those readings are off the charts, by the way, and you have to figure out why clouds rain blood. That's a lot for one person."

Bruce knew he had a point. "I could use some help."

Tony glowed. In fact, he appeared relieved. "And you have the best man for the job right here. Someone needs to stay on task while you're ogling Saniya. Don't try to hide it. I saw the security footage."

He nearly choked. Bruce's eyes grew wide while Tony's smirk increased. "I wasn't... I didn't... I wouldn't... I am not ogling her."

"It's understandable. She's a hot piece of property," Tony mused. "When's the last time you've been with a woman? Since Betty?"

Bruce's face heated up. He turned his head back to the screen of flickering names. "Women are not property," he chided.

Tony winced. "Poor choice in wording, I'll admit that. How long, Brucie?"

His head dipped towards the table. "It's been... a while since Betty, but I can't be with Saniya if that's what you're suggesting. I won't do that to her. To anyone."

Tony's lips twitched. "I'm not telling you to date her. I'm telling you to bone her." Bruce gave him a very stern glare. The billionaire flinched. They both knew the Other Guy wouldn't let that happen. "Don't you at least want to ask her out or something? Expand your horizons? You're so lonely in your lab-cave."

Bruce rubbed his hands. "I'm a man, aren't I? She's attractive, but I can't do that to her. It wouldn't be right." He faced the screen again. "I'm not going to talk about this any longer, Tony."

Tony groaned in frustration. "Fine! Continue to live like you're in a museum for the rest of your life. See if I care!" There were several moments of blissful silence before Tony broke it again. "What about if it was someone else? If I found someone you liked good enough would you stop living in your 'look but don't touch' world?"

He held back a long sigh. Tony didn't get it. The ones he loved weren't in constant danger in his presence. He didn't have to always be aware of everything going around him, for fear that it catches him off guard. Tony just didn't get it.

There would never be a significant other in his life. Bruce was still hesitant on the thought of friends. The more time someone was around him, the higher chances they had of being killed. It was hard enough to deal with the strangers he hurt while he was the Hulk, but if it was someone he loved? Bruce doubted he would be able to deal with it.

"Please stop—"

The DNA analyst beeped. Two names were up on the screen. One with a 100% match and the other close. A large red pop up came up. 99.9% chance of relation.

Bruce's mouth fell open. _Oh, Saniya._

"What? What is it?" Tony blabbered.

His fingers itched to delete everything. "Is SHIELD monitoring your computers?" Bruce asked.

"Not anymore," Tony answered. "What is it? Never mind, I'll just see it for myself."

"So if I delete this, SHIELD won't know?"

Tony had the same reaction as him as the information flashed inside the visor of his suit. "Shit. Why did Natasha let her in my freaking tower? She's related to cloud-blood lady!" He shook his head. "SHIELD won't notice, but why don't you want them to know? This seems like something they need to know. If Saniya has a sister who can make it rain blood, then I vote to tell Fury."

Bruce quickly deleted everything involving Saniya's DNA, making sure to leave no trace behind. "They will make her a prisoner if they see this, whether or not she's normal. We have to give her some benefit of the doubt and let her explain herself first."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "You're giving Loki #2 the benefit of the doubt?"

He rubbed his temples. "No. I'm giving Thor's friend the benefit of the doubt." Bruce felt a headache growing. "Have you noticed anything strange, weird, not normal about her?"

The billionaire took that into consideration. "Nothing crazy like magic or that crap. Okay, I'm fine with leaving Saniya out of this mess for now until she shows the slightest sign of crazy, but you're not keeping that Elliot girl from Fury. This is next level insanity that has to be dealt with people with loads of guns." He blinked. "Wow. I never thought I would be advocating to tell SHIELD anything. Jarvis, remind me to get my yearly checkup."

Tony was making a lot of sense about telling someone who could handle the situation better than them, which sort of scared Bruce. The day Tony was the rational one would be the day the world was ending. "We'll tell Fury about Elliot. Until we figure out if there's anything freaky with Saniya or not, we have to keep her out of it. For Thor's sake."

"For Thor's sake," Tony muttered. "Will you call Fury or shall I?"

"I can. He'll want to hear it from me."

Bruce prayed that he wasn't giving Saniya more credit than she deserved. As long as she was normal, everything was going to be fine. God, he hoped she was normal, otherwise he just made a huge mistake by covering her tracks.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! So lately I have been having a lot of personal family problems. This week I'm heading up to my aunt's and won't have a chance to write. The next update might be later, I'm not sure yet. Just hang in there. I'll get it to you guys eventually! Thank you for showing your support. I really appreciate it :) And major Bruce/Saniya bonding next update. This update is to set up what is about to happen next, so prepare yourselves! It's going to get intense.**

 **Nik1804: I love writing fluff! Unfortunately there isn't much in this update, but next one there will be quite a bit of bonding between the two. And don't worry, we'll find out more about the secret relative in the next few updates ;) She's pretty important to the plot line, so we'll a lot of her.**

 **addicted2memories: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it :)**

 **major-fangirl-in-here17: I laughed after seeing your review haha. I'm glad that it did! I was hoping people wouldn't see it coming.**

* * *

 _Tigers are lazy animals_ , she thought to herself. _Well, at least the ones in zoos_.

She leaned over the railing to get a better look of the felines. They stretched out under a tree, ignoring the tourists and cameras. She envied the animals for their calmness when the insanity of the zoo was bustling around them.

A woman's dress brushed her legs and she flinched. Her body squeezed as close to the railing as possible. Two children bumbled after the woman. One of their hands accidentally swatted her pants.

This was a bad idea. She should never have left the motel, but she couldn't help herself. Her mother video chatted with her earlier and was concerned about how sickly she looked. Her mother had a point, so she made an effort to spend time in the sun and to eat a full breakfast. Some time outside was bound to make her look less like a zombie.

Now she was regretting it like she knew she would.

There was too many people, too many noises, and her gut felt sick with apprehension for her next incident. They were happening more and more frequently, all too intense to ignore. She dreaded what was going to happen and when.

Over the past year, she discovered that her incidents didn't care whether she was in public or not. It just happened with no warning. The small children flashed in her mind. She hoped they wouldn't get hurt.

She looked up again, searching for the tigers. They were not there. She strained her neck to scan the whole fenced enclosure. The tigers were nowhere to be found. They weren't hiding behind any rocks or trees. All the tigers were gone, completely disappeared.

Her stomach twisted. Somehow this was her fault.

She balled her hands in her hair. This was her fault. Out of the millions of explanations for what happened to the animals, she did this.

"Is something wrong?" A voice behind her asked.

She turned to see the most beautiful woman she had ever met. It was like stepping into a magazine. The woman had red shoulder length hair that reminded her of her Irish aunt. Her eyes were like a siren's call. They held her attention and refused to let go. She couldn't look away. All thoughts of the tigers drifted from her mind.

Her hands fell limp by her sides. "I'm just being silly, but thank you for asking," she murmured.

The woman held out her hand. "My name is Natalie." She stared at Natalie's hand like she'd never met another human before. Natalie let it drop without a bat of an eye. "And what is yours?"

"Marsha," she answered. Marsha leaned against the stone wall. Without knowing it, she was backing away from the woman.

Natalie's lips curled into a smile as she placed her weight on the short wall. "That's a pretty name," she commented. Natalie shifted her body to face her. "Say, your name doesn't happen to be Marsha Elliot?" Marsha nodded. "What a coincidence! I go to the same church as your parents. Fellowship of the Father."

Marsha's eyebrows lifted in surprise. Her apprehension melted into her typical social anxiety. She was back in familiar territory. "In San Francisco? North Carolina is a far way from home."

Natalie laughed. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. "I could say the same for you. My job has business in Charlotte. Your mother mentioned you'd be here this weekend as well and I'm in need of company." Natalie ran a hand down Marsha's arm. It was a calming gesture. "How long are you staying here?"

She was frozen until Natalie stopped touching her. Marsha cleared her throat. "Only a couple days."

"Plenty of time to have dinner together," she said with a smirk. Natalie grabbed Marsha's wrist and wrote a phone number on her skin. "Call me when you want to meet up." She peered through her eyelashes. "You will call me, won't you?"

Marsha's mouth was agape. "Y-Yes, I will."

"Good. I have to go." Natalie winked. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Goodbye," Marsha breathed as Natalie sashayed away. She felt her knees grow weak from the conversation. There was no way she was _not_ calling her later.

" _You laid it on real thick, Nat,_ " Clint buzzed into Natasha's earpiece after she was far enough from the target.

Natasha walked out the large arches that marked the exit. Out of instinct, she kept a careful eye on each person she passed to the getaway car in the front of the lot. All she saw were tired parents and hyper children; nothing to be concerned about. Besides, the perimeter was secured by agents. Nobody was getting in or out of the zoo without SHIELD knowing.

"That was the plan, wasn't it? Gain her trust as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Clint's eye roll was almost audible. " _Yeah, I guess. It just seems a cold way to do it, leading her on like that_."

She spotted the dark car. Clint's dark silhouette had his hand to his ear. "Like I said, I'm following the most efficient route. We don't have much time before we bring her in." Natasha chewed the inside of her cheek. "She's too trusting. I barely talked for a minute and she's willing to meet me somewhere. Foolish."

" _Feelin' bad for her?_ "

Natasha threw open the door. Clint started the engine while switching off his earpiece. She did the same. "No," she replied, "it was just an observation." She tapped her nails on the dashboard. "Give me two hours with her and she'll be singing like a canary. Maybe shorter."

Clint raised an eyebrow. "Don't get cocky on me, Romanoff."

Natasha placed a hand on his knee. "You know me. I would never."

He scoffed. "Right."

* * *

Saniya ran a hand down her face. The past few days were spent in a lab. Bruce was pleasant company; he was a kind man who was more than polite. But when Tony joined, she was caught between hating and enjoying her time down there.

Tony preferred 'surprise tests' where he shoved her into chambers or jabbed things in her arms without telling her what he was doing. But while he was doing things, he cracked jokes that always made her laugh. Saniya appreciated his sense of humor but hated his tact.

They had a typical like/hate relationship if she had to describe it.

Thor and Steve were in the lab that morning also. Thor because he hadn't been on that specific floor yet and Steve because there was no one else in the tower to talk to. Natasha and Clint were gone on a mission and wouldn't be back for a few days. He had no choice but to talk to them, though she had a feeling he would've came anyways. Thor and Steve were friends. Saniya found this a good exercise to watch her friend ignore her and _not_ freak out.

So far she was doing good.

She yelped when Tony yanked a strand of hair from her head with a pair of tweezers.

Steve jumped in his office chair. His eyes zeroed in on Tony. "Stark," he warned for the millionth time.

"Rogers," Tony replied in the same tone.

Bruce spun a holographic outline of her body with his finger. Ripples of color danced around the image, along with numbers that she didn't understand. "You really should ask for permission before you do anything to her," he said despite knowing that if Tony didn't listen the first hundred times, he wouldn't listen now.

Tony waved the strand towards the scientist. "This is for science. Science doesn't need anyone's permission."

Steve's mouth screwed into a tight frown. "Dr. Erskine would argue with that."

The billionaire dropped the strand in a clear zip-locked bag. He wrote her name with a sharpie on the front. "That's because he was experimenting on a human being. I'm experimenting on a strand of hair, thus I don't need permission."

Saniya swung her feet over the side of the table. "It's still my strand of hair," she pointed out. "How hard is it for you to just ask?"

Steve scoffed. "I don't remember ever hearing him ask permission for anything."

Tony spun around. "Maybe because this is my tower?" His arms spread out like a king gesturing to his kingdom. "I can do anything I want here."

Steve's nostrils flared. He opened his mouth but shut it with a snap. Tony wouldn't listen to him. And with his festering bitterness over his broken arm, Steve didn't have the energy to reason with him. The super soldier went back to watching Thor play Flappy Bird. They both groaned when the bird hit the pipe.

Bruce's eyes wavered between Saniya and Tony. "You really should ask next time," he suggested. The image spun with a flick of his wrist. It changed colors, from a dark red to a light blue.

Tony rolled his eyes. He picked up his phone and furrowed his eyebrows with thought. One could see the moment he made a split-second decision. Tony's eyes lit up and his mouth was set in a determined smirk. He moved until he was right in front of her.

"You're a woman right? In tune with the rest of the womenfolk on the earth?"

She blinked. "I... guess?"

He grinned. "Perfect." His fingers opened an app on his phone. Dozens of pictures of women popped up. "So, I made a dating profile for Bruce. Since he won't even go near a woman, it's up to us to figure out the perfect one for him."

 _Us_? Tony didn't talk to her much, other than with innuendos and jokes, so it struck her odd that he wanted her help. Of course, if she read more into the situation, she was helping Bruce in the long run. From what she could tell, he hadn't dated anyone in a long time. It would be satisfying to find someone he could potentially marry. Maybe they'd make her a bridesmaid.

Then scenarios of Bruce smiling more ran through her mind. He had a nice smile and deserved to find someone who could make him happy. Saniya convinced herself that this was something she needed to do. Finding him a woman (or a man, if he was interested) was something Saniya would gladly help Tony with.

Bruce, on the other hand, was not so happy with the situation. He shook his head. "Tony, we've already discussed this."

They both ignored him. She tapped on a picture of a woman on the back of an elephant. A list of her interests appeared, a lot of which were extreme sports like whitewater rafting and rock climbing. Tony quickly tapped the back button at the interests.

"What type of personality do you like?" she asked as she examined the pictures.

Saniya didn't know him well enough to figure out if this was the type of person he would like to date. But based on the approval on Tony's face, Sandra L. was a good match. So was Tracy P. and Nellie M., but maybe he was basing it off of his own preferences since they all uncannily looked like Pepper. She momentarily wondered how happy Pepper would be if she found out Tony was looking at pictures of other women.

Bruce's cheeks turned a soft pink. He chose to continue analyzing data instead of answering her question.

Tony scrolled further down a profile. "He likes strong women. Ones who aren't afraid to smack around the Other Guy. Am I right?"

Her eyebrows drew together. "The Other Guy?"

"Tony, I'm not interested in dating anyone right now," Bruce stammered.

The billionaire snapped his fingers towards the scientist. "Exactly! Right now you're not interested. But what about in a week? Month? Year? I'm giving you options." Tony pressed the back button while Saniya pointed at another picture. "You should be thanking me right now, honestly."

There was a long sigh from the other side of the room. Right when it seemed Bruce was going to give in, he spoke up. "Saniya, I don't want a dating profile," he tried as a last ditch effort to stop the madness. Bruce rubbed his hands together. The look in his eyes was screaming for her to stop it in any way possible. He really didn't want this.

Her shoulders slumped. Guilt ate its way to her heart and she immediately caved. "Maybe Bruce's right. If he doesn't want to date anyone then— Oh! She owns a petting zoo!" she exclaimed. Her lips burst into a grand smile. Bruce found himself staring. "How many people do you know who own a petting zoo?"

Tony shook the phone at the scientist. "Come and look. I know you want to," he sang. Saniya patted the spot next to her.

His mouth formed a straight line. Suddenly, he began to chuckle. Bruce sat next to her despite how much he hated the dating idea. He brushed her arm as he reached for the phone. "I'll look," he told them, "but I won't—"

"Touch," Tony finished. "Yeah, yeah, just give it a chance."

Bruce tapped on a picture. A photo of a woman with a blonde perm and eccentric makeup popped up. He scrolled down to the interests then backed out. He did the same thing to the next woman. Then the next and so on. It was methodical and not at all meaningful. Several minutes passed without conversation or any sign of interest.

She tapped his ankle with her foot. "You aren't even reading the profiles. You're just pretending," Saniya scolded.

His glazed over eyes refocused on her face. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"Bruce," Tony whined. He sighed dramatically. "Oh, _well_. Since you're obviously not interested, I _suppose_ I'll have to make a profile for Saniya."

Saniya whipped her head around. "What?"

A spark of understanding sparked in the scientist's eyes. Bruce's shook his head rapidly. He knew something she didn't. Tony snatched the phone and pulled up a questionnaire. He moved his fist into the thinking pose.

Bruce reached over her to grab Tony's arm. All he caught was air as he scooted away. "I know what you're doing," Bruce accused.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Please tell the class what I'm doing."

His eyes pointedly glanced at her. "The same thing you have been doing for the last three days," he hissed.

Saniya crossed her arms. What had Tony been doing for the last three days? She didn't remember anything out of the ordinary. "What have you been doing?" she asked.

Tony shot him a triumphant grin. "See? She hasn't noticed a thing!"

Bruce buried his face in his hands. "This isn't going to end well," he muttered. His hands fell to his side. "I had nothing to do with this, just so you know."

"With what?"

Tony slipped off the table. He paced in front of her with an expression that made her queasy. It didn't help that Bruce was backing away like a bomb was about to explode. The doctor's face said everything he needed to say: I'm sorry. But what was he sorry for?

He rocked on his heels. "Do you have any siblings? Cousins? Anyone you're close to?"

"I'm not answering this; I don't want a dating profile," she said. Saniya crossed her arms. "I find people to date just fine without the internet."

Tony held up a finger. "Au contraire, mademoiselle. You haven't had a serious relationship for nearly five years. Only little flings and one night stands." He tilted his head. "Don't you want more? Someone to love and hold you? Someone to give your life meaning? Someone to—"

Her lips curled. "That sounds like something from a sappy romance novel."

He winked. "I'll make your life a sappy romance novel if you let me." Tony gave Bruce a meaningful look then turned his attention back to her. "Just give me your permission to perform a secret experiment on you."

Saniya leaned back. Her eyes widened slightly. "That's one of the creepiest things someone has ever said to me."

Bruce shook his head as Tony protested. "You have to admit that it came out weird," he said.

Tony frowned. "Okay, so maybe it didn't sound as good as it did in my head, but you get the idea."

"Not really, actually. What kind of experiment?"

He pinched his face together into an odd expression, like he ate a lemon. "Just answer my questions and I won't evict you." His face loosened. Saniya crossed her legs but stayed quiet. "I'll take that as your full consent. Siblings?"

"No siblings," she sighed. "I'm the only child."

"You sure about that?" Bruce shot him a crippling glare, which Tony ignored. "No secret love children your parents failed to tell you about?"

Her shoulders stiffened at the mention of her parents. "No! I'm pretty sure I'm the only child."

Bruce took a step towards the billionaire. "Maybe we should stop for lunch."

Tony held up his hand to silence him. "Not until I unveil the things I have in store." He cleared his throat. "What about secret hobbies? Talents? Abilities?"

She felt like there was something she was supposed to understand from the way he was talking. There was a hidden message that she couldn't figure out. "I can count tips at work really fast if that counts."

Tony's head lolled back. "Anything more interesting?" he pressed.

Saniya frowned. "You aren't even entering anything into the questionnaire! I really don't want to answer any more questions if you aren't going to explain anything."

"If you insist. The second part of the experiment starts now." Tony reached into his back pocket and pulled out a orange pill. All his time as Iron Man must have made him great at aiming because he threw it right between her eyes. The pill exploded into a circle of bright paint, which covered most of her face and hair.

Saniya grasped her head in pain from where the pellet hit her. Bruce rushed to her side, trying let him see how bad the damage was.

She was going to have a headache all day because of him. Her migraine was inevitable, but cleaning paint off her body was optional. Saniya pulled the familiar invisible threads and time reversed. The paint reformed into a pellet and flew back in Tony's hand. Everything reversed to the perfect spot.

"— _the second part of the experiment starts now_."

"Stop!" she yelled. Thor and Steve looked up from the device. Tony froze with his hand halfway into his pocket. "Don't you dare throw that paint thing at me."

Bruce fixed his glasses. "You were going to throw paint at her?" he asked.

Tony blinked. His hand fell out of his pants pocket. "The more important question is how did you know I was going to throw my paint bomb at you?"

She felt like the floor was whipped out from under her. It wasn't often that she messed up like this. Sure, it was a minor mistake. Just a slip of the words that could be played off as an innocent guess. Well, maybe if she wasn't talking to geniuses who dealt with odd things like her every day. Tony wasn't going to drop it easily, not by the way he was staring at her.

In a flurry of desperation, she tried to tug the invisible strings again. The only thing she succeeded in doing was setting her chest on fire and doubling her headache.

"I j-just guessed," she stumbled. Her hand clutched her chest. It felt like someone lit a match in her lungs.

"You just guessed," he repeated with a stale voice. Tony narrowed his eyes. "That's one hell of a lucky guess."

She grasped her throbbing skull. The phantom pain of the paint bomb exploding against her head replayed over and over again. Suddenly the lights in the room were too bright. "Thank you," she said. Saniya hunched over, cradling her forehead and rubbing her temples.

Thor set the device in Steve's hand. He rose from his chair. Arguing couldn't distract him from his game, but the second she showed any pain, he was by her side like he was paying attention the entire time. To be honest, she was amazed he even noticed she was still in the room. "Lady Saniya, have you fallen ill?"

"Just a migraine," she wheezed. "And my chest caving in on itself. No big deal."

Bruce leaned his head to have a better look. "Do you want any medicine? There's some in the first aid kits underneath the sink. Clint and Natasha get hurt a lot, so we have most everything you need."

If there was a way that she didn't have to suffer the whole day, she would gladly take it. Saniya nodded. Bruce left for several moments and returned with a container of strong aspirin. She didn't even think twice as she washed the pills down with a glass of water.

Steve's forehead creased. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked Bruce.

"She'll be fine. Migraines pass eventually," he reassured. "Do you know what caused your migraine? Bright lights? Caffeine?"

"I know what caused her migraine!" Tony declared. All eyes fell to him. He seemed to light up when the attention was on him. "She had a vision," he said. "She's a psychic! She saw me throwing the paint bomb at her through her powers."

Bruce blinked. "There's no scientific proof of psychics. I doubt—"

"Really? We've dealt with Norse gods and aliens, and the idea of a psychic is doubtful? How else would she have known I was going to smack her with my patented easy-burst paint bombs?" He pointed at her. "I know you're a psychic. All the signs are there!"

Saniya fought her way through the pain to give him a weird look. "I'm not a psychic." Thor placed a hand on her forehead.

Tony pumped his fist. "So you admit that you're something!"

"I'm not anything!" she snapped. "I'm just me."

He opened his mouth, but Steve cut him off. "She looks like she's going to faint. Continue whatever you are doing later." Steve threw her a worrying look. "Dr. Banner, is there somewhere she can rest or does she need to go back upstairs?"

The doctor removed his glasses. He placed them in his front shirt pocket. "There's a cot in the back." Bruce hovered next to her, getting slightly closer then falling back. "Can you walk?"

She kept her body as still as possible. "Yeah, I'm fine." Saniya stepped off the table. The nerves in her brain fired off in response. Any movement set off alarm bells in her head.

Saniya didn't understand why it had hurt so much to reverse time. It never had before. She jumped off bridges hundreds of times in a row without feeling the way she felt.

But, when she thought about it, she always waited a couple more seconds before turning back time. Maybe her ability was like a muscle and she just sprained it. That seemed like the most reasonable explanation. It was odd that she had never figured that out in all the years she used her ability, but she didn't want to think about that now. Her head pain was distracting.

"Do not worry, I shall carry you," Thor said when it was clear she wasn't going to move. He grabbed her by the waist, careful to keep her vertical. The god needed barely any effort to carry her to the small cot.

With some help, she was tucked under several layers of blankets. Saniya's head throbbed too much to be embarrassed.

Tony hooked his fingers around the belt loops of his jeans. "You're not a psychic, but what about a witch? Oracle?" His eyes gleamed. "Can you read my mind?"

"Stark," Steve clipped.

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I know when to stop. I'll go get a warm towel for her head." Tony fled the room. No doubt he thought that the quicker she got over her sudden migraine, the quicker he would get answers.

Thor gripped her hand. His eyes glistened with tears. "I shall give you an honorable funeral if you pass. One with a huge feast and music to celebrate your short life." He sniffed. "You have been a dear friend of mine."

Saniya's eyes widened. Her horrified gaze met Bruce's. "I'm dying?" she squeaked.

"No!" Bruce place a hand on Thor's shoulder. "She isn't dying, Thor."

The god hunched his huge shoulders. "I recognize this sickness. Many magicians in Asgard reeked of their seiðr when it...," his eyebrows drew together, "in a way you may understand it, their seiðr clogged. My brother had experienced it several times when using his magic too frequently at its early stages. I fear for your fragile, mortal life."

Saniya shifted between looking at Thor and Bruce. Steve shrugged from his spot behind them. Bruce was just as confused as she was.

"Are you saying I smell?" she asked.

"Like a wild hog rotting under the summer sun."

Steve crinkled his nose. "That's oddly specific."

Saniya bent her nose to smell herself. All she smelt was laundry detergent, but Thor did have a god nose. He must have a stronger sense of smell. At least, she hoped so. It would be too mortifying to find out she smelt that horribly while sitting next to Bruce all day.

 _Tony would have said something_ , she decided. If she had smelt, the billionaire would've told her immediately. Bruce was too polite to say anything, but the other scientist would revel in embarrassing her. This thought calmed her. Only Thor thought she smelt horrible.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I feel fine! Just a little headache." As soon as she said that, another wave of pain washed over her. It took a number of effort to keep herself from grimacing. "Plus, I don't have any of that... sei-sai-s"

Thor's grip loosened. "Seiðr," he said in her place.

"Yeah, that." Saniya tried to sit up. "There's nothing wrong with me. Nothing magical or weird. Nothing at all."

Thor looked skeptical. His mind was already set. But if any of the Avengers had to figure out that there was something off about her, she was glad it was Thor.

Her migraine was downgraded to a headache and the burning in her chest was nonexistent. Lying down helped the pain considerably. The aspirin was kicking in, or so she told herself. There was no reason for her to lie down anymore. While she mentally tucked away a reminder to look up seiðr later, she pushed off their concerns. It wasn't until a gentle hand pushed her shoulder down that she rested her head back on the pillow.

Bruce removed his hand as quickly as he touched her. "You looked like you were in a lot of pain. Rest for a while."

"I feel fine!" she said. A stab of pain crossed over her face. Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine, but I'm not going to die either." She gave Thor a pointed look.

"Perhaps I was wrong," Thor confessed. "Your soul has a fire. I doubt it is easily extinguished." His eyes scanned her face. "And you do have more color in your skin than before. The Midgardian medicine must be helping you."

She lightly slapped his arm. "See? Don't be so quick to assume I'm going to die. It was just a fluke." Saniya stretched out her arms. "Help me back upstairs."

Bruce shook his head. "Don't, Thor. Not until I make sure it's not anything serious."

The anxiety from when Thor thought she was dying returned. "You think it's something serious?"

He shrugged. "Migraines are sometimes symptoms of serious conditions and you mentioned your chest—" Bruce paused. He took in the expression on her face. "I don't think it's anything serious. I just want to make sure. It's nothing to worry about."

Saniya placed a hand on her forehead. The lights were still too bright. "Okay. If you think that's best." She closed her eyes. "You don't mind if I rest my eyes for a couple seconds, do you?"

"Not at all."

Steve left the lab since he wasn't much help. He wasn't a doctor or Saniya's friend, so he was unneeded. Thor stayed to watch over her though it was unnecessary. She was in one of the safest places in the country, but Thor had a strong sense of duty. Bruce moved several of Tony's medical equipment from storage as quietly as he could. He prepped the equipment on the other side of the lab, making sure everything was in its place.

By the time Tony returned with the warm towel, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Marsha gripped the edge of the sink.

 _Breathe in_.

 _Breathe out_.

It was amazing how nervous simple small talk made her. Thinking of something to say while at the same time coming up with another question was daunting. Marsha would rather fight a swarm of aliens than small talk with someone she didn't know.

She was enduring it, though, because she was obsessed with the person she was talking with. Natalie had stolen all her common sense in fifteen minutes. The date was fraying Marsha mentally as she tried to seem cooler than she actually was.

No. This wasn't a date and she shouldn't assume that. Natalie just wanted to have dinner, to chat. There was nothing better than making friends in an unfamiliar city if one was into that sort of thing.

Date or no date, Marsha had fallen hard. Her mother always commented how attached she grew to people. She said that it was what made her so endearing. Marsha prayed that was the case and she wasn't scaring Natalie away for how clingy she was becoming.

She already liked her too much.

It wasn't often that someone showed interest in her, too. Whether it was platonic or romantic, so she was latching onto whatever attention she could get. Marsha was odd in that she craved love and attention but was too terrified to find it. Natalie was an opportunity to get what she wanted without going too far out of her comfort zone.

The want for human comfort completely brainwashed her. Marsha wasn't worrying about her next incident nor did she think about it once that night. She was still the nerve-filled woman she always has been, but her anxiety were different. Instead of wondering if she would hurt people, Marsha's worst nightmare was accidentally insulting Natalie. That night, everything revolved around Natalie.

Whether this ended with her having a new girlfriend or friend, she just wanted to talk to someone.

Marsha straightened any loose strands of hair then walked out of the bathroom. There was no point in hiding there all night, nor did she want to. For once, she didn't want to stay hidden in her motel room.

Natalie grinned when she returned to the table in the small restaurant. Marsha couldn't remember who suggested this place, but she was glad for it. It was quaint with a Italian countryside appeal. It also wasn't too expensive, which was a huge plus. The restaurant was perfect, but she would have been fine going to McDonald's for dinner. She wasn't picky.

"I was getting worried you ran off on me," she said.

"I would never," Marsha replied. Her cheeks turned pink.

Natalie winked. "Good to know." She flipped through the menu. "The waiter came by five minutes ago and I ordered us a bottle of wine. I hope you like Chardonnay."

Marsha's fingers faltered as she picked up her own menu. "That sounds lovely."

Natalie glanced at her over the menu. Her smirk grew. "You never told me why you're so far from home."

"I needed to get away," she answered. Marsha's face grew hotter the longer Natalie's gaze was on her. "I mean, I love my parents —they're the best— but I wanted to get away."

She hummed in response. "Seems like an awful lot of getting away." One delicate eyebrow lifted. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You running from something?"

"Yes," she answered automatically. For once in her entire life, she wished she had an untruthful bone in her body.

"Oh?"

Marsha was saved from answering when the waiter walked up to the table. She didn't notice the terrifying glare Natalie was giving him. If she had, she wouldn't have been sitting so comfortably across from the woman.

He held a bottle of wine in his hand. "My name is Clinton and I will be your waiter for tonight. If you need anything, please, just scream," the waiter said while filling their wine glasses. He held a notepad in his free hand. "Are you ready to order?"

Natalie snapped shut her menu. "I'll have the tenderloin."

"And how would you like it done?"

"Well done," she said. Her eyes narrowed. "I want it practically burnt and very, _very_ dead."

Clinton's throat bobbed up and down. "Sure, ma'am." He turned his head so she wasn't in his line of sight. "And for you?"

"Chicken parmesan, please," she answered.

"Comin' right up."

As soon as the waiter was out of hearing range, Natalie leaned forwards in her chair. Her eyes twinkled. "You never told me what you were running from."

Marsha stared at her lap. "I don't... You don't... My problems don't matter. You'll think it's silly."

"Is it silly to you?"

She looked up. Natalie's face was open and kind. Anything she said, she could trust with Natalie, that much she was sure.

Marsha shook her head.

The smirk morphed into a good-natured smile. "Then it is not silly to me. I want to hear it."

She sipped from her wine. Alcohol was never her thing, but maybe it would help her stop being a nervous bunny throughout their entire dinner. Natalie's eyes glanced from the wine glass back to her face.

"Please don't laugh at me."

Natalie placed her hand over Marsha's. "I would never."

Marsha's heart fluttered in her chest. "I'm running from myself," she confessed. "I seem to mess everything up. Bad things keep happening around me and I feel like it's my fault." Marsha took a deep breath. "If I go far enough, maybe things will magically get better. That's what I'm hoping for, anyways.

"Well," Natalie started, "if you feel like it's your fault, then it probably is."

Her heart, which was shaking with giddiness only moments ago, fell still. "What?"

"Bad things don't happen to good people, no matter what anyone says," she said. "If what you're saying is true, then you're doing something to cause it. What are you doing?"

The air around her turned clammy. Maybe she was doing something to cause all the horrible things. This was her fault. Everything was because of her.

It was her fault for existing. God was punishing her for being alive. Her birth parents didn't want her for a reason. Maybe that was because she always brought bad luck.

Her bottom lip trembled. "I'm just living. All I'm doing is living."

Natalie's face hardened. "That can't be all."

Before she could get out another word, the chemicals in her wine took over. Marsha slumped over in her chair after mumbling incoherent sentences. Her eyes fluttered close and her limbs fell off the table. The only sign of life was the movement of her chest.

The customers in the restaurant (all SHIELD agents) began to clean the building. In a half hour there would be no sign of them being there. Not a single crooked table or fork out of place. The owner of the restaurant, who was away on a Caribbean Cruise, would be none the wiser. SHIELD had mastered its disappearing act.

Clint whistled. He moved Marsha's body enough to restrain her wrists behind her back. "Way to send the girl into an existential crisis."

"She was already in the middle of one." Natasha stood. "She didn't tell us anything and she'll be less likely to cooperate in a cell. I did what I thought was necessary on such short time." She glared at her partner. "You shouldn't have brought the wine so early."

"I though you did the signal," Clint protested. They both knew he would pay for it the next time they sparred. He threw Marsha over his shoulder. "You'd think SHIELD's best agent would be able to find out something juicy."

"Unless there wasn't anything juicy to find out," Natasha countered. She held the door open for Clint. "What if Austin and those other places weren't done on purpose? I don't think she knows what's happening."

An agent opened the back of a containment vehicle. The walls were made of several inches of steel. It was a solid box of metal, meant to keep any type of prisoner under SHIELD control. The little thing that was Marsha had no chance of escape.

Clint set her on the cold steel as gently as he could. "Whatever. I just hope SHIELD doesn't give Double B more people to study. One's enough."

Natasha let herself laugh. "Double B?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Stands for Bruce Banner. It's his initials."

"I figured."

Clint pecked her cheek as he made his way to the front of the vehicle. "Meet you at the tower? I'm in charge of dropping her off."

Natasha glanced at the truck one last time. "Meet you there. I'll keep the bed warm."

The vehicle drove away with several SHIELD cars guarding in front and behind it. They would head to a small SHIELD base in New York until proper transportation could be made to bring her back to base. That wouldn't be for several hours. Marsha would be asleep for a long time, so there was plenty of time to prepare her cell. SHIELD had thought this moment through. There was no room for mistakes.

Natasha dropped into the driver's seat of the car that she 'borrowed'. There was a small sliver of guilt for treating Marsha the way she did. She had led her on, making her think that she even remotely cared what happened to her when she, in fact, didn't. It was cold-hearted and expected of her. The Black Widow was incapable for feeling remorse for her actions, but Natasha Romanoff was a different story.

She took a deep breath. This was more thing she was going to have to live with. Working with SHIELD meant that she had to do a lot of those kind of things.


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, just as a heads up, updates will be coming slower. School is starting up again and my grandma just died, so a lot of my time will be spent with family and doing homework. I'll do my best to get updates out as soon as possible, though! Thank you for your support, whether or not you review/favorite/followed. I love all of you**

 **I can't wait to write when the Hulk and Saniya meet. It won't be for a couple more chapters, but it will be a fun one!**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: Further along in the story, there will be references to Hinduism and Indian culture. I have done my research BUT there is always the chance that I've written something wrong or represented it in a bad way. If that ever happens, please, _please_ tell me. I don't want to offend anyone or write an entire group of people the wrong way. Don't be afraid to tell me! Also, I am not a native Hindi speaker and do not know anyone who is. There are some terms used in this update with the translation at the bottom. Please correct me if google translate was wrong.**

 **Nik1804: I'm glad you liked it :) Haha, I love that ship name even though I don't have much plans between the two! And yes, it is pretty ironic. Loki and Saniya are similar in some ways, but different in others, so I'll try to explore that in future updates. I'm so happy that you think my plotline is unpredictable! Thank you :)**

 **Katie Moon: I was so worried that I didn't write him correctly, so I'm super happy that you think so. Tony's a little stinker sometimes with the pranks, but very loveable haha. That's also fantastic that Saniya isn't Mary-Suish. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to review :) I'm sorry that you got in trouble**

* * *

—24 Years Ago—

 _"Saniya!"_

 _Indali scooped the squirming toddler in her arms. She balanced Saniya on one hip and Aghamarshan on the other. A sly smile grew on Saniya's face. The small child knew she was caught doing something she shouldn't._

 _Indali carried the two back to the shade of a dying tree. Years of lugging them around made it effortless. She tumbled into the dirt, letting the two children use her as a pillow._

 _She hugged Saniya. "_ Bahana _, what are you doing?"_

 _Saniya toyed with the embroidered end of her_ ghagra _. "Nothing."_

 _She hummed. "Nothing. You sure you were doing nothing?" Indali bounced Aghamarshan on her knee. The bubbly child giggled. "What do you think? Saniya was doing something she wasn't supposed to, right?"_

 _Aghamarshan, despite not understanding what she said, bobbed her head with a bright smile._

 _"See? Aghamarshan doesn't believe you. What were you doing?" Saniya stayed silent. Indali tickled her side, making her kick and laugh. "Tell me. You never keep secrets from me."_

 _"The baby!" Saniya relented. "I want to see the baby! I want to see the baby!" She grabbed Indali's hand and tugged._

 _Indali shook her head. "You have to wait. There is no baby to see right now. It's still in her stomach."_

 _Saniya didn't understand, that much was clear to Indali. But how does one begin to explain childbirth to a three-year-old child? Indali, who was only eleven, already knew the ins and outs of it. Her mother had described the whole process quite thoroughly several weeks ago, but Indali not qualified to teach others._

 _Plus, even if they did understand, Indali was told to keep Aghamarshan and Saniya occupied for the day. Children had to stay where they belonged, especially during a time like this. The mean man_ _said so. Indali wasn't brave enough to go against him, no matter how much she wanted to see the baby. She'd been beaten enough to know that no one ever wins in a fight against him._

 _She pushed Saniya's sweat-crusted hair from her face. "You have to wait. Patience is a virtue," she said. Indali bit the inside of her cheek. "Or whatever those missionaries say." Aghamarshan gurgled in agreement._

 _Saniya poked her cheek. "What does..." Her mouth struggled to form the unfamiliar word._

 _"Virtue? I don't know, but it must be something good. Don't you want something good?" Saniya nodded. "Then you have to wait."_

 _That was enough to make her forget about the baby. For the moment. No doubt in five minutes she would be bouncing up and down, demanding to see her new brother or sister. Her excitement would set off Aghamarshan. Then Indali would have to deal with two hyper children. If she could help it, they wouldn't get that far._

 _Aghamarshan reached for Indali's hair. She curled the locks around her finger, knotting it in some places. It entertained her, so Indali didn't mind too much. To keep Saniya from running off, she kept one arm tucked around her waist. She balanced the toddlers on her legs._

 _"You three are adorable."_

 _Indali looked up to see the woman with the palest skin she had ever seen. It almost cast a glare in the harsh sun. Her hair was a bright blonde with a gold ribbon braided into the strands. She was wearing the typical clothes of Rajasthan: a brightly dyed_ ghagra choli _and a fabric covering her head like a halo. It struck Indali odd that she could speak their language fluently. It wasn't often she met a foreigner who could._

 _She wrapped her arms tighter around the two children. "Who are you?"_

 _The woman smiled. "My name is Frimia. And yours?"_

 _Indali slowly moved Saniya and Aghamarshan away from the woman. "Indali."_

 _"Ah, so then that must be Saniya and Aghamarshan if you are who you say you are. Your mother told me all about you three as she took her last breath."_

 _She used her hands to cover her sister's ears. It was unfortunate she didn't have more hands. "She's...?"_

 _Frimia nodded._

 _Indali dipped her head. Tears burned in the corner of her eyes._

 _"And the baby?" Saniya happily cheered 'baby'. Indali had to tighten her grip to keep the wiggling toddler at bay._

 _The woman kneeled down to her height. "It was a girl," Frimia replied. Her hand caressed the side of Indali's face. It was a feathery touch that slid over her cheek._

 _"Your mother named her before he..." Her lips curled in disgust. She didn't have to finish the sentence. Indali could already guess what her father had done to his fourth mistake. Indali's newborn sister likely didn't live long enough to see her mother's face. "Her name was Deva."_

 _"Oh."_

 _Girls weren't desirable in their village. They were seen as an expense, one who couldn't bring in any money and was only useful for marriages._

 _Boys could get a job and earn money. His family didn't have to pay a dowry to get married. A boy could continue on the family name. Her father always made sure to tell Indali that whenever he had the chance. He told her that the only way to have a successful family is to have a son carry his name to the next generation._

 _Her mother used a special word to describe him: misogynistic. She said she learned that word when she went to school. Indali didn't know what that meant, but she was smart enough to never say it in front of him. Smart like her mother. The point, though, was that the_ he _wanted a son, not another daughter. Deva was destined to die the moment she came into the world._

 _Frimia placed a hand over Saniya's forehead. Instantly, she stopped moving. Her eyes became unfocused, staring but not quite seeing._

 _"What did you do to her?" Indali snapped._

 _"Relax, my child. I've merely made her calm." Frimia's hand reached for Aghamarshan, but Indali pulled her out of reach. "It is important they are calm when I give you a gift."_

 _"A gift?" Indali asked. As much as she claimed to be an adult at eleven years old, her childish curiosity won over. "What kind of gift?"_

 _Frimia reached out again. "Your mother was devoted to someone who enjoys rewarding her followers. And since Mamta is no longer here to claim her prize, you three will suffice." She held her hands open. "Your father will likely beat you, correct? Like he has every time he isn't given a son?"_

 _The young girl nodded. She had the scars to remember it._

 _"I'm offering you a chance to change that. It will make you three champions among mortals," Frimia told her. The woman's eyes sparkled. "I'm offering you power, a chance to change your fate; it is wise to accept it."_

 _She held out her hand. A small light, almost like an aura, encased her forearm. All Indali had to do was step forward until she and her sisters were covered in light as well._

* * *

—Present Day—

Saniya woke up to warm hands shaking her awake. When she opened her eyes, she found she was on the opposite side of the lab. One of her hands was pressed against the door, trying desperately to push it open.

Bruce removed her hand. "You know that you sleepwalk, right?"

She shrugged, groaning as a dull pain rocked her whole body. "Yeah, that's old news." Saniya took in his disheveled appearance. He was wearing different clothes —ones that look like they've been sitting in a drawer for weeks— and his hair was unkempt. "What happened to you? You look terrible."

Bruce grimaced. He ran a hand through his hair in a failed attempt to fix it. "It wasn't anything—"

Saniya looked up at the ceiling. "Jarvis, what happened?"

" _You knocked him off the stool while he was sleeping. If my database is correct, you stayed asleep through the entire ordeal. Quite an amazing feat since it was loud enough to wake Mr. Odinson_."

There was a loud snore from the cot she was supposed to be sleeping in. Thor was spread out like a starfish and his head dangled off the side. He was a foot too tall for the cot.

She turned back to Bruce who had a guilty expression on his face. "My bad," she apologized.

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

Saniya crinkled her nose. "Sorry? Why on earth are you sorry? I was the one who knocked you over."

"I almost—" he started to explain but stopped himself. He gave her a weak smile. "Maybe you're right," he said as a way to drop the subject. Saniya didn't press further.

Bruce moved to the other side of the room to look at something on his laptop. Though Saniya wasn't exactly proud of her observational skills, she saw how he moved with her. Every step she made, he leaned away. There was always a larger-than-needed space between them. And if she noticed his behavior, then he was being incredibly obvious.

He had to be pissed that she knocked him over. Bruce had never acted like she had the plague until now. She probably hurt him, or maybe said something in her sleep. Something terrible enough for him to hate her. Great, she offended one of the nicest people in the tower.

She sat on the office chair Thor rolled down the hall that morning then propped her feet on the counter.

"Can you not have your feet on the counter?" Bruce asked. He slipped on his glasses. "I'm sorry, but the surfaces need to stay clean."

She dropped her feet without a word. The scientist immediately went back to work. Saniya began to tap her shoes on the floor to the beat of Jingle Bells.

Bruce winced. "Can you also stop tapping your feet against the floor, please?"

Saniya stopped. When he looked away, she threw her head back in a silent scream. It was torture staying silent and doing nothing. Bruce was perfectly fine with examining his data and forgetting all about her, but she was an extrovert. She thrived on interaction and crumbled without it. The silence in the room was poison.

She was being dramatic, but she knew that she would _die_ if she didn't talk to someone right that second.

There were two options: try to talk with Bruce and risk making him hate her more or convince Thor to entertain her.

She sighed. Did she really need attention so much that she was willing to wake Thor? She wanted to say no, but she soon found herself poking the Asgardian in the cheek. Each poke was harder than the last, but Thor didn't move. He was harder to wake than the dead. Saniya punched his arm with all her might. Thor didn't even stir.

He was a lost cause (it was probably impossible to wake Thor) and she didn't want to annoy Bruce, so she _supposed_ she would entertain herself.

The only sounds in the lab were Thor's snoring and the wheels of her chair as she pushed herself around. Other than that, it was pure silence. How Bruce was able to work like that, she didn't know.

"Jarvis?" she called out. "You have any music you can play?"

" _I have a wide selection at your disposal. Would you like for me to play Dr. Banner's playlist, or would you prefer something else?_ "

It was his lab and he was the one working, so it was only polite to play his music.

"Bruce's playlist, please."

From the other side in the lab, she saw him nod his head in approval. At least she did something right.

The song started with a soft violin. Several more instruments joined to blend into a medley of sounds, each one building off of the next. She preferred a song with a faster tempo, but the way Bruce bobbed his head at each crescendo made it worth it.

She looked at the nearest clock. It was a couple of minutes past two in the morning.

No, she refused to believe it was that late. Her nap couldn't have lasted more than a couple hours, not the entire day.

"Hey, Bruce?" He looked up with a face of exasperation. "If you want to head up to bed, I can grab Thor so you can lock up the lab."

His features softened. Bruce looked back at his notes. "I usually stay down here and work. But if you want to go upstairs, don't let me keep you."

She shrugged. "I'm not tired."

"You did sleep for over twelve hours."

Her eyes widened. "No way. I did not sleep that long."

The corners of his eyes crinkled with a small grin. "Believe me, you did. Tony thought you fell into a coma." He flipped the notebook page. "Thor had several theories about that."

She began to kick the wheels of the chair. "Theories? What kind of theories?"

Bruce glanced up at her face then back down to his notes. "He wouldn't say. He said he wanted to talk to you first." He pursed his lips. "You don't... you don't happen to know what kind of theories he has?"

Saniya cleared her throat. "I'm not a mind reader, but if I had to guess, then they're all wrong theories. Very wrong theories."

His hands stilled. "Saniya, you can trust me—us. The Avengers will help you if you need it."

She abruptly stood. "I don't need any help," she countered, "because there is nothing weird about me. Stop acting like there is!"

"I didn't mean it—"

He was cut off by his phone buzzing. She raised an expectant eyebrow then gestured to his lit up phone. Bruce reached for the device and pushed in his passcode. His eyebrows lifted when he read the text.

"They actually got her," he mumbled. "I didn't think it would be this fast."

"Did something happen?"

He set his phone back on the counter. His hands fidgeted. "Yeah, ah, how good are you at handling surprising news?" he asked.

She furrowed her brows. "What does that have to do with anything?"

His eyes darted while he kept a table between them. "There's something you need to know, but I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell you."

Saniya clenched her jaw. "Then who would be the right person?"

"Thor," he replied without hesitation. "Maybe that one agent... Ms. Hughes, I believe her name is. Natasha wouldn't be a bad choice, I suppose."

"She isn't an agent; she's a research assistant," she mumbled. Saniya placed her hands on her hips. "Just tell me."

He leaned away as if he expected her to lunge at him. But, to give him some credit, she probably did seem like a stalking lioness with the way she was attacking him for answers.

"Bruce," she warned.

"SHIELD recently arrested your sister," he told her. Bruce waited for a response, but all he got was her mouth slowly opening and closing. "Her name is Aghamarshan Elliot and her blood rained from the sky, so you can understand why I didn't—"

A remnant memory clicked inside of her brain. It was so far back that she wasn't sure if it was dreamt or if it actually happened, but she remembered hearing that name.

The words that came out of her mouth were barely louder than a whisper. "Like in Texas. I saw it in the newspaper."

Bruce stopped mid-sentence. "Pardon?"

She met his gaze. "It rained blood in Texas. She did that?" He nodded. Well, if she could go back in time and aliens to invaded earth, it wasn't impossible for someone to be able to do that. What she had a hard time believing was that she had a sister. She shook her head. "I don't have a sister. I'm an only child."

He fidgeted his hands. "I'm pretty positive you do. Your DNA showed that you are related to her."

Saniya placed her hands on her hips. "Then it was wrong results."

"Trust me, I tripled checked everything. I'm very sure it's correct."

She blinked. There wasn't a shred of dishonesty on his face, not that she expected there to be one. "You," she started with hesitance, "you really think she's my sister?" He nodded.

When she thought about the word 'sister', she kept picturing Christopher handing her the phone right before they crashed. ' _Why don't you want to talk to your sister?_ ' A thought slithered into her mind, one that quickly became an idea. It was a very, _very_ bad one, but maybe she would get answers.

Finally, she might find some truth.

"Where's Natasha? Or Clint? Or anyone that works for SHIELD?"

Bruce frowned. "I believe Natasha just got back. Clint shouldn't be too far behind."

Saniya turned on her heels and stormed towards the elevator. Behind her, Bruce watched with wide eyes. He rushed after her, his hand hovering next to her elbow as they reached the elevator.

She jabbed the 'close door' button. The metal doors slammed shut.

Saniya tapped her foot on the floor. "Jarvis, can this thing go any faster?"

" _The elevators were designed for maximum carrying efficiency rather than speed. I'm afraid it cannot_."

"Great, just great," she muttered. She whipped her head around to face the scientist. A flash of anger rushed through her. "Let me guess, SHIELD already knows all about this."

"They don't know. We didn't say anything, about her being your sister, I mean."

Her eyes searched his face. "Why not?" she asked, her voice much fainter than before.

Bruce blinked. He tore his eyes from her face. "Because I didn't have a good enough reason to."

For a second, her irritation with the secrecy dwindled, but it reignited when the doors opened. Saniya stomped out of the elevator. Bruce struggled to keep up as she barreled down the hallway to Natasha and Clint's door.

Two short knocks later, Natasha swung open the door and glared down at them. She must have just gotten back because she was still wearing a leather jacket and a red cocktail dress.

"Saniya, Bruce," she said in a razor-sharp tone, "do you know how late it is?"

Some of her confidence evaporated. She stepped backwards, bumping into Bruce.

"It can't wait," she replied.

Natasha sighed. "I'm sure it can, you just don't want to."

"Exactly! So we're on the same page."

Saniya faltered in what she wanted to say next. The assassin's murderous gaze made her palms sweat and heart race. Something told her that Natasha wouldn't mind killing her at the moment, even with Bruce as a witness.

She gulped and moved so that she was half hidden behind him. Despite using Bruce as a body shield, she lifted her chin and straightened her back. "SHIELD just arrested someone and I need to see her."

"And which person are we talking about?"

"Aghie—"

"Aghamarshan," Bruce corrected.

She bobbed her head. "Yeah, Aghamarshan Elliot. I need to see her as soon as possible."

Natasha's scowl shifted to Bruce. He flinched. "I wonder how she heard that name," she mused.

He curled his hands into a knot. "Sorry, Nat."

Natasha brushed off his apology. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, I'll bite. Why do you need to see her?"

"Bruce seems to think she's my sister and I want to prove him wrong," she said. A sudden wave of fear washed over her when she saw the flash in Natasha's eyes. Instantly, she regretted telling her about her supposed sister. "He's wrong, though," she rushed out. "I know that I'm the only child. I just want to prove a point."

Natasha was suddenly wide awake. She leaned against the doorframe. "And what does the Doc say?"

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm fairly certain they're related. All the tests—"

Saniya leaned forward. "Tests that are very wrong."

"—say that they are sisters," Bruce continued. He shot her an apologetic grimace. "I'm sorry, but I'm positive she's your sister."

Natasha tilted her head. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smirk. "Congratulations, Saniya. You'll get exactly what you want." She patted her hand on Saniya's shoulder. It felt more like a death sentence than a congratulatory gesture.

Her shoulders drooped. "Please tell me you won't tell SHIELD about this," Saniya pleaded. "It's not that important."

Natasha chuckled, as if she was amused with her troubles. "Maybe. No promises."

Which most likely meant she would spill the information to the first SHIELD agent she saw. In a matter of a minute, Saniya might have screwed herself over for the rest of her life. Being potentially related to someone who made blood rain from the sky made it a million times harder to keep up her charade of an average person.

"I'll have a transport ready in a half hour. It's about a two-hour flight to the helicarrier," Natasha told them. "You better be ready by then. I spent the last seven hours driving from North Carolina, so I will not wait for you if you're late."

* * *

There was nothing like a few hours of doing nothing to gather enough anger and frustration to last her for days. The first twenty minutes of the flight was spent in absolute silence, which allowed her to overthink everything that had happened. She decided that she was infuriated with two people: Thor and Bruce.

Thor didn't do anything on purpose, but that didn't stop her from feeling pangs of frustration. His talk about the weird Asgardian magic and his hidden theories only amplified the distrust around her. Or at least, she assumed it did. She didn't have a chance to see how Tony and the others would react, but it should be poorly.

Bruce, however, deserved the hatred she was sending his way. What kind of person keeps information like that away from someone? It wasn't right. So, to soothe her boiling emotions, she focused on the little things like 'accidentally' kicking his chair and pretending to not hear him over the helicopter blades. By the time they arrived at their destination, she was feeling calmer and more relaxed.

"Holy fucking shit," she swore as a the helicarrier came into view.

It was a large aircraft carrier floating in the sky. The top deck was larger than the block her apartment complex was on. It was a lot busier too. Planes sat on the deck while maintenance crews checked on them in the morning sun. Small vehicles, that were similar to golf carts, weaved between people. It was chaos.

She leaned further out of her seat. Saniya was tempted to jump.

Natasha smirked. "Wait until you get inside. It's bigger than it looks."

"No way." Saniya, momentarily forgetting how upset she was, turned to Bruce with a wide grin. "This is amazing."

Bruce smiled back. "Like she said: just wait till you get inside."

The pilot landed on the deck. Several SHIELD agents rushed over to check their ID's and to prep the helicopter. They didn't give her anything more than a brief glance.

Saniya dropped down to the helicarrier. The edge called to her, begging her to jump off at least once before she went inside. This was a once in a lifetime chance.

"Where are you going?" Bruce asked as he watched her walk to the side.

She smiled to herself. "Just looking!"

A second later, she tumbled off the side. Saniya was all giggles as she fell, narrowly missing one of the jets. She'd never fallen from so far up and it was exhilarating. Nothing else compared to this moment. And, right on time, she flew back up to the deck.

She glanced over her shoulder. Neither Natasha nor Bruce had any idea what happened. It was her secret. That was something no one would be able to take away from her.

"I have business to take care of," Natasha announced when Saniya rejoined them moments later. "Your sister is a hallway down from where Loki's cell was. Remember where that is?"

Bruce nodded. "I do."

Saniya tilted her head. "What kind of business?"

Natasha smirked. "Let's just say that someone has to make sure Agent Klemmer is not doing her rounds while you are here." Saniya stilled while the assassin waved goodbye. "We'll regroup in a half hour."

She swung her arms, brushing off any thoughts of Agent Klemmer. "So, lead the way."

They walked side by side, bumping shoulders every so often. Neither of them wanted to get in the way of the other people. It was as busy as a helicarrier could be. One time Bruce had to hold out his arm to keep her from colliding with someone too focused on a clipboard to look up. Once, she saw someone coming and let them collide shoulders with Bruce. The person turned bleach white when he saw who he hit. It was funny.

But, after they entered the carrier and were walking through the halls, she saw other people reacting the same way. There was a wide berth around them, more specifically him.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked. The anger from him keeping a big secret from her was pushed back. She'd bring it up another day, but now she didn't care. As much.

He ducked his head. "Fine."

"You look constipated." Bruce's eyes widened. "I didn't mean that like— I don't—" She sighed. "I just meant that you look really uncomfortable."

He avoided meeting her gaze. "No, no, I'm fine. You don't need to worry."

She bumped his shoulders. "Sounds an awful lot like me when I say I'm fine. What'd you do to make everyone so scared of you?"

Bruce rounded the corner. There were guards stationed at every doorway. The security was tighter in this area.

"The last time I was here, I ended up destroying quite a bit of the helicarrier."

She looked at him with surprise. He wasn't muscular like Thor or had a metal suit that shot laser beams, so it was hard to imagine him destroying anything. But, he was incredibly smart. She guessed that he built an elaborate contraption which blew up part of the hallway or something like that. There was no way he could do any damage any other way. He was too soft.

Saniya shrugged. "Sweet."

Bruce let out a surprised wheeze. "Sweet? You think that destroying thousands of dollars of equipment and building material is sweet?"

"One hundred percent," she chirped. "Especially since you destroyed SHIELD's stuff." He shook his head in disbelief. "They probably had it coming anyways."

His steps faltered. Bruce pointed to himself. "Wait, do you not know that..."

The anger from before resurfaced. He sure liked to ask questions without being clear of what they're about. "Do I not know what?" she snapped.

His eyes scanned her face. When he saw that she was genuine, he kept his eyes fixated on the floor. "That explains why you're not running away screaming," he laughed humorlessly.

Saniya considered throwing herself off a cliff and not reversing time. It would be more enjoyable meeting her early grave than to try to figure out the meaning behind his answers. That was an exaggeration, of course, but that didn't mean she wasn't considering it.

"You are ridiculous," she muttered under her breath.

Each answer he gave left her with ten more. He wasn't doing it on purpose, though. If he had been someone like Natasha or Clint —more specifically, an agent for SHIELD— she would've thought he was doing it to manipulate her in some way. Or if he were like Tony, then to piss her off for the fun of it. But this was Bruce; the kind man who kept her company the last few days. She couldn't see him as one that liked to press people's buttons.

"Watch it!"

She gasped, turning just in time to see a man in full riot gear about to ram into her. Just as the huge body was about to topple over her, everything paused. The body hung at an angle, just inches away from crushing her.

Saniya stepped out from under his shadow to see everything was frozen. Bruce had his head turned and his eyes were halfway through a blink. Then, exactly half a second later, everything unfroze.

The man in the riot gear continued barreling down the hallway with his hand on his gun. It was like she wasn't almost crushed in the first place.

Weird. She'd never paused time before, but there was a first time for everything.

They passed several cells, which were large see-through walsl with metal doors. The insides were pure white, with only a bed, toilet, and a sink as furnishing. Every cell was the exact same. Even the prisoners' uniforms were identical.

Despite the cells being alike, she knew the one at the end was different. This cell was special. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, but it was unique.

Bruce stopped in front of the glass. "She's the woman in the file."

Saniya's feet melted to the ground. The world shifted; she could have sworn she felt it move. Everything seemed clearer. The familiar thump in her chest was stronger. One sentence floated around in her mind and was the only thing she could focus on: she's my sister.

Her hair was cut just below her shoulders with bangs hanging over her eyes. Aghamarshan's hairstyle made her look like a teenager, which was adorable in its own way. While her sister could not have been much younger than her, she felt a protectiveness that a parent had over their child. The feeling was surreal.

Saniya pressed her hands against the glass. Her fingerprints left smudges on the clean surface. "Can I talk to her?"

Bruce glanced at the guards who were now paying a disturbing amount of attention to them. "Maybe we should wait for Natasha to find us."

Her eyes never left her sister, who was currently curled up against the wall. "The question was rhetorical. I'm talking to her whether anyone says so or not."

"I don't think that's how that word is meant to be used and—"

"I'll stay outside of the cell," Saniya compromised. She ripped her gaze from Aghamarshan to look at Bruce. His cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink when she placed her hand on his arm. "I need to talk to her."

Since he didn't object further, she decided he wasn't going to stop her. She knocked on the glass. Aghamarshan lazily opened her eyes and rolled the crick from her neck. Her eyes, an exact replica of Saniya's, widened when she saw her.

Saniya had so many questions, some of which involved Christopher O'Neill. How did she know him? Why did she send him after her? But before she had a chance to blurt out all of them, she caught herself.

SHIELD was listening. If not through the guards stationed every few yards or so, then with listening devices placed throughout the helicarrier. Asking Aghamarshan about her connection to a terrorist would seal her fate if SHIELD didn't already know. Subtlety was key.

Aghamarshan tugged the sleeves of her stereotypical orange jumpsuit. "Who are you?"

"I'm Saniya. You're Aghamarshan, right?"

She frowned. "Marsha," she corrected. "Do I know you?"

Saniya lightly tapped her foot against the glass in a rhythm. "I don't know. Do you?"

Marsha hugged her arms around her waist. "No," she said quietly. A crease appeared between her eyebrows. "Do you know me?"

Her foot stilled for a second, then went back to tapping. "No." Saniya jerked her thumb towards Bruce. "This guy thinks we're sisters."

Marsha's entire demeanor changed. She grinned. Though it didn't reach her eyes, Marsha was genuinely happy to see her. "Really? Who were you adopted by, or did you stay in our village in India? This is so exciting, even if I'm meeting you in a cell."

Her nose crinkled. "What village? I was born in New York."

"But you just said we are sisters." Saniya felt a pang of guilt rush through her as Marsha crumpled in on herself. "You must have the wrong person then. My mother said all my siblings were born in Rajasthan."

Bruce frowned. "There are other siblings?"

Marsha, despite being on the other side of a glass wall, took a step back. "My mother said that I had three siblings." Her eyebrows drew together. "Wait, no. Just two. I think one of them died right after its birth."

The second he turned to her, Saniya was shaking her head. "Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say," she protested. "Having a sister is a giant leap that you managed to land, but I am not adopted."

"Maybe you should consider it as a possibility."

She curled her hands into two fists. "It's not an option," she glowered. "My birth certificate says I was born in New York, so I was born in New York!"

Bruce placed a calming hand on the small of her back, acting as a barrier between them and the eavesdropping SHIELD agents. The tension in her muscles loosened under his touch. "I'm not claiming that you are, but you should keep an open mind," he said quieter than usual. "I can run some tests —your parents' DNA are probably on file if they've been to a modern hospital in the last thirty years— and see if you're really their biological child."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm not—"

"Just wait until I have the results," he reasoned.

"We shouldn't even be considering this, but fine." She threw her hands up. "I won't freak out about it." Saniya banged her forehead on the glass. Bruce removed his hand and shifted several feet away. "Okay, what about your, err, our birth parents?"

Marsha stepped so she was closer to Saniya and further from Bruce. "My birth mother died during childbirth. My parents don't like talking about my father."

She lifted her forehead. A red mark appeared where her head was pressed against the glass. "Why not?"

"I don't know. They just don't," Marsha shrugged.

Bruce stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nat's ten minutes early."

Saniya followed his gaze. Down the hallway with a cup of coffee and less energy than an hour ago was Natasha. Despite the walking dead appearance to her, Natasha oozed power. It was very admirable to see the SHIELD guards flinch when her eyes stayed on them for too long. Saniya could only hope to be as terrifying as her one day.

Marsha pressed her hands against the glass. "Natalie?" Suddenly, she smacked her forehead. "The wine."

"What wine? What did she do?" she rushed out.

The expression on her face could accurately be described as a sad puppy. "She must have drugged me and brought me here." Tears glistened in her eyes. Both Saniya and Bruce stared helplessly as Marsha sniffled.

"If it makes you feel better," Saniya started, "SHIELD hit me with a truck then locked me in Stark Tower."

Marsha rubbed a rogue tear from her cheek. "SHIELD? Is that what they're called?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but might as well call them the mafia. There's no difference."

As Natasha approached them, Marsha slunk back in her cell. Saniya almost didn't catch her murmuring of missing home. And as the agent drew closer and closer, a pit of hate grew in her stomach.

She'd free Marsha. She didn't know how or when. Saniya just knew that for her own sanity, it had to be as soon as possible. SHIELD was not going to stop her.

* * *

Translations:

Bahana = बहन = sister

Ghagra = a long full skirt often decorated with embroidery, mirrors, or bells.

Choli = a short sleeved bodice worn under a saree


	11. Chapter 10

**Katie Moon: Haha I'm glad you like my story. I've purposefully made it suspenseful, so I'm glad that has been working out! And we will meet Indali soon. She's been up to a lot of things since then and I can't wait to share it with you guys. I'm sorry about your grandfather, and thank you. It's still sad to think about her, but I'm a lot better than I was when she first passed.**

 **Bex: Thank you! I'm happy you like my OCs**

* * *

Fury rewound the security tape again to the right second. One moment she was in one place, then in a different one immediately after. He couldn't quite place his finger on what was happening. There seemed to be more to Saniya than previously assumed.

The director clapped a hand on the young, jittery agent's shoulder. "Send that to Agent Romanoff when she's back in New York."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Considering that they took a regular helicopter instead of a quinjet, it would be longer than he preferred. Fury wanted to confirm Saniya's powers —or lack of— as soon as possible. SHIELD was a master of control, and she was one variable that he couldn't let run loose.

With one last prospecting gaze over the room, he left the bridge of the helicarrier. He slid a key card through a detector in the wall and the metal doorway spread open. Fury kept walking until he came upon Conference room 4.

Dorie Hughes bent over a pile of notes, which had been solicited out of Professor Clerk. There were now highlighted sentences and doodles in the margins. Not to mention, he saw a rather large coffee stain on half a page. He'd have to get her a separate journal to keep her from doodling on the professor's notes. They still needed to be filed in the SHIELD database.

The projector was set up with a picture of a multi-limbed woman standing over a man lying on the ground. For some reason, she thought it was okay to write on the projector screen with a permanent marker. Several of the items in the goddess' hands were circled with notes scribbled below. One of the whiteboards was covered in Sanskrit words and reminders to reference back to certain pages. The trashcan by the door was stuffed with styrofoam cups and wrappers. She had certainly made the conference room her second home.

For the past week or so that Dorie had been employed, he had seen little to no results. He wasn't sure whether it was her fault or his for even bothering to hire her in the first place. Her memory was an important asset, but was it really so important to test how long until he had an aneurysm?

To get results, he often had to push people. Fury enjoyed that part of the job. Pushing people to their breaking point was one of the few things he loved about being the Director of SHIELD. Maybe Dorie just needed a good shove. If she failed, at least he would sleep easy knowing he didn't let this drag out.

He let himself in without knocking. Dorie hardly had time to lift her head before he demanded: "Status report."

She smacked her gum and spun around in her chair. Fury's eye twitched. "I've found nothing about someone being able to spout out symptoms of Vishnu appearing in his final incarnation of Kalki if that's what you mean." Dorie noticed Fury's blank expression. "Doomsday," she explained. Her face brightened as she shifted through the notes. "But I've found some fascinating things on Kali Yuga and—"

"Miss Hughes," Fury interrupted, "I am not interested in Kali Yuga. I am interested in why that woman can make blood rain from the sky."

Dorie's excitement faded. She fidgeted under his glare. "I don't know the answer to that, but maybe it's tied in with Kali Y—"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Then you will find out, or you are demoted and we will finally bring someone else in." Dorie's jaw dropped. "I've spent too much money and resources on you with little results."

"That's not fair!" Dorie protested. "And what resources? You've dumped me here with no help except for someone to get me coffee every morning."

Fury's patience began to chip away. "As I said before, too much money and resources." He stepped towards the door. "I want results," he said before he slammed the door behind her. That was as good as a push as any.

Dorie balled up her fists. "Frick frack!" she spat to the door. Her eyes trailed down the notes about Kali Yuga, highlighted with a bright yellow marker. _Rulers will become unreasonable_. Hell yeah, they're being unreasonable.

Could she be demoted? She was already in one of the lowest positions at SHIELD. What would he do? Make her a custodian? Not the worst job in the world and she had plenty of experience of cleaning toilets.

Despite a demotion not being as bad of a threat Fury thought it was, she still wanted to keep this position. Dorie felt that with enough time, she would be able to make a difference somehow. She wanted to be someone important.

If she still wanted her job, she had to act fast. Dorie didn't know how much time she had. And when she tried to predict when her next status report would be, she found herself unable to reasonably estimate. All she knew was that it was going to be close.

Dorie ripped out a slip of paper out of a notebook and wrote down a book order for _Kaala Gnanam_. Maybe the famous Pothuluru Veerabrahmam's poems would help her out. She wasn't sure if it would, but she had to at least try.

* * *

When they arrived back in New York, Saniya had formed 12% of a plan. It wasn't so much as a plan, but more like a general idea of what she was doing.

While she wasn't proud of how lacking her scheme was, she figured she could make it work. It had to. She was playing the part of the hero, and the heroes always won.

Saniya watched Natasha from the corner of her eye. She was sitting on the couch, browsing the channels. One foot was propped on the coffee table, dangerously close to knocking over a glass of water. When Natasha finally started playing an old episode of _1000 Ways to Die_ , Saniya took the opportunity to slip into the hallway.

It was so early in the morning that no one was awake. Except for Bruce, but he had retreated back to the lab. She snuck down the hallway until she came to a door with the red x. The forbidden door. Saniya touched the handle then pulled back her hand like it had burned her.

Natasha would not take kindly to her messing around in her room. Plus, if it was booby-trapped like Tony had claimed, she'd most likely die. The Russian spy was not someone who was to be messed around with. There were bound to be lethal traps in that room.

Saniya bit the inside of her cheek, contemplating what she should do. She had to play it smart.

She dropped low to the floor, in case there was a shotgun aimed at the door, and twisted the knob.

The door creaked open with a high pitched whine. Her hands covered her ears, waiting for... anything. It was pitch black considering that it was windowless. Her hand fumbled until she found the light switch. The light flickered on, revealing a normal room.

 _Disappointing. She had expected something weirder._

It was identical to hers, except for the fine layer of dust. Nobody had been in there for a long time.

Saniya stepped inside, half expecting a bomb to explode. While she was searching the ceiling for electric nets or security cameras, she never noticed the red laser across the doorway at ankle-level, nor did she hear the alarm on Natasha's watch in the other room.

Tony, along with telling her it was booby-trapped, said that it held Natasha's spy gear. Saniya looked under the bed. Nothing except for a forgotten sock. Before she began ransacking the dress drawers, she noticed the closet door was open. She pushed the door open even further.

Grenades were lined in neat rows on the shelves. Not fake ones or memorabilia from past wars. No, these were live grenades, along with machine guns stashed behind a rack of leather suits. And this was only the tip of the iceberg.

"Oh hell yes," she whispered as she spotted a grappling hook between several pairs of combat boots. Since Jarvis was effectively keeping her trapped in the building, she would use this to escape. Somehow. She had a feeling it wouldn't work as smoothly as she had seen in the movies. Still, Saniya picked it up, along with a can of mace.

"My, my. You seem to be planning something big."

The assassin leaned against the doorframe, watching the blood drain from Saniya's face. Natasha smirked. "Please, don't let me interrupt. Continue looking through my stuff. I don't mind."

She slowly placed the grappling hook and mace back where she found it. "Ahh, I was just looking. Tony said there was something in here... that he needed... very important, so I had to find it for him." Saniya rocked on her heels. "I see that it's not in here. I'll talk to him and see if he thinks it's somewhere else.

Natasha pushed back her shoulder to keep her from leaving. "You know," Natasha said with a hint of humor, "whenever you lie, you tend to overcompensate."

"What! I'm not lying. Ask Tony if you don't believe me. It's the truth."

She held up a finger. "There it is again. Slight overcompensation. You try so hard to make it convincing that it sounds fake." Natasha flexed her hand. "Why are you really here?"

Saniya tried to move past her again. The assassin matched her movements with much more grace. "Maybe we can talk about this another time—"

"Do you know how many interrogations I have performed? Tortures?" Natasha asked. She reached over to a small stand of weapons, absently rubbing her finger along a knife. She frowned when she found a scratch in the metal. "Clint's being using my decorative knives for throwing again," she muttered to herself. There was a second of thought before Natasha returned the knife to its slot. "As I was saying, I know how to make you speak. I'd prefer to not have to strap you to a chair and bring out my equipment."

"Wait, you'd do that?"

Natasha smirked. "The best interrogations are done that way. Why wouldn't I?" The humor drained from her eyes at a frightening speed. "Spill," she commanded.

Saniya shrank at the tone in her voice. "I was hoping to... visit my sister and bring her back here. For Bruce. He... uh wanted me to bring her back to the tower discretely."

The assassin blew a gust of air out of her nose. Before her reply, an idea flashed through Natasha's head. It was so grand of an idea that even Saniya pinpointed the exact moment it occurred to her. The widening of her eyes and the mischievous grin was a dead giveaway.

"Oh you can do better than that," Natasha chuckled. "I can see the effort there, hiding the truth within a string of lies, but it's hardly believable." Her calculating eyes roamed Saniya's face. "Plus, you didn't keep your story straight. First Tony told this, then Bruce said that. Try again."

Saniya crinkled her nose. "Try again?"

"Yes, try again," Natasha urged. "You're capable of lying, just be good at it this time."

Since it was obvious the jig was up, Saniya didn't want to continue fighting a losing battle. Something in Natasha's face, though, kept her from just saying the truth.

"I was curious. Tony said you had a lot of cool stuff in here and I just wanted to see if what he said was true."

Natasha pursed her lips. "Better. If I had closed my eyes, then it would've been somewhat believable." Finally, she moved from the closet door. "Body language gave it away immediately, though."

Saniya stepped out of the closet, only to have her arm grabbed by the quick assassin. "You know, if you really want to sneak out to see your sister, all you had to do was ask."

She sighed. "I don't want to just see her. I want to break her out and bring her here. She can't stay rotting in a cell for who knows how long."

Natasha released her arm. "Okay."

Saniya blinked. Was she hearing things? _The_ Black Widow, important SHIELD agent and Avenger, was offering to help her free her sister?

"Okay? Okay, what? You're going to ask them to send her here?"

"No. I'll help you break her out."

Her foot kicked into the carpet. "So you aren't going to get her out the legal way?" Natasha nodded. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You have the power to get her here hassle-free, but you're still going to do this the hard way. What the hell?"

She shrugged. "I have no interest in bringing your sister to the tower."

Great. Ulterior motives. Something completely expected from a super spy. At least she was honest about having them.

"Then why?" Saniya asked in a half whine, half annoyed tone.

Natasha removed a leather suit from the rack, held it up to Saniya's body, then nodded. "Because I want to see how far I can push you," she answered. "What's your bra size?"

Her hands covered her chest at a speed she didn't know she was capable of. "That is none of your business."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Okay. Then it's not my fault when it doesn't fit." From one of the drawers, she pulled out something that looked like a tube top with a bra sewed into the fabric. The fabric was stiff, keeping its form as she lifted it up. "This is specially made to deflect knives. Bullets, not so much."

Saniya reluctantly grabbed the fabric. Her fingers pinched the ends, trying to hold on to as little as she possibly could. "Got it. Stops knives, doesn't stop bullets." Realization banged her head harder than a hammer. "Oh god. You think I'm going to get stabbed!"

"Stop holding it like that; I've never worn it." That made her feel better. The bra/knife vest was held firmly in her hands without the dramatics. Natasha began to search through several boxes. "And no, I don't. It's supplied by SHIELD as a part of the close-combat uniform. You are going to need it if you're going to be imitating me."

Saniya shook her head. "There's a problem with that: I look nothing like you. I'm not white or red-headed."

Natasha plucked a dusty earpiece from the box and a black, rectangle canister. On the side, written in white marker, was 'Zzz Quick Nonlethal'.

"You don't understand what I'm getting at, do you?"

"Well _pardon me_ for not understanding the plan you're sharing so much about."

The redhead frowned like she loathed having to explain this mysterious plan. But, Saniya supposed, when one was in a line of work where everyone ran on the same wavelength, Natasha didn't have a lot of experience of explaining things to clueless people such as her.

Natasha turned to fully face her. "The plan is that Clint and I will fly you to the base on the quinjet. You will use my ID to get past any security barriers. All you have to do," she held up an outdated card, covering the picture with her thumb, "is hold it like this while showing the clearance level. I will watch the cameras while you get your sister. Tell them that Director Fury requested she is moved to Stark Tower, escort her to the quinjet, and off we go. Easy."

Saniya shook her head. "That doesn't sound easy." Her foot tapping grew faster. "Maybe this is a bad idea." She began to grind her teeth. "Especially since you can just move her here. That'd be easier," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh, this plan's the worst," she deadpanned. "I have no idea why you would ever want to free someone who could do the things she can do."

"Then why are you helping me?"

Natasha flashed her white teeth. "Like I said, I want to see how far you'll go."

"So, you're not being altruistic then?"

The assassin stifled a laugh. "No."

Saniya sighed. There was no turning back now. She had made up her mind.

She spread out her arms. "Okay. Zip me up in one of those leather suits and let's go."

* * *

The suit squeaked as Saniya shifted in her seat, trying to adjust the vest. Clint giggled. _Giggled._

Who knew the man was such a big fan of fart jokes?

He turned his head so that he could watch her reaction from the corner of his eye. "Did you have beans for breakfast? That's the fifth time!"

A smile threatened to break on Natasha's lips, but not quite.

"It was the suit and you know it, Clinton Barton," Saniya retorted.

The man winced. He turned his head back to its original position. "I kind of hate you for telling her my full name," he whined to Natasha.

Natasha ran her finger along the back of his seat. "No, you don't."

He sighed. "No, I don't."

Saniya toyed with the earpiece they gave her several minutes ago. It buzzed with white noise, giving her a faint headache.

The quinjet was odd to her, just like the earpiece and uniform. It was everything a science fiction geek could dream of: flashing buttons and unfamiliar gadgets. Even someone like her could appreciate the complexity of the technology.

She carefully crossed her legs. The leather thankfully didn't make a sound. "Why didn't we take the quinjet in the first place? It's a million times faster than the helicopter."

Natasha walked from the cockpit to sit across from her. The elegant woman crossed her ankles, looking like royalty. "Tony doesn't like sharing his things," she confided. "Before wasn't important enough to fight with him over it, but now we need speed."

Saniya tapped her foot on the metal. "Speaking of Tony, how angry is he going to be if he finds out?"

"Very, most likely. It _is_ his quinjet."

That caused her to sigh. Thor would defend her if it came down to it, but that still didn't mean she felt okay with upsetting the person who owned the bed she slept on.

"There it is, ladies," Clint yelled. The helicarrier came into the view, not leaving much room for the sky. The deck was just as busy as that morning, if not more.

Natasha walked to her side and grabbed Saniya's hair. Her nimble fingers scooped each strand into a tight ponytail. "You need to be quick. Don't let anyone look at you too long. Don't stay in one place too long," she advised.

Clint nodded. "Walk fast but not too fast. And for god's sake, don't look guilty."

She gestured towards the laptop they packed earlier. "We'll be watching, but we won't be able to help if you get in trouble." Natasha handed Saniya the canister from her closet. "Use this only if you have no choice. Spray in the eyes and they will drop almost immediately."

Saniya's eyes widened. "You mean kill them?" she asked.

Natasha frowned. "Read the side. It's nonlethal."

She sighed in relief.

"Remember, it's a quick stop. Get out before they start checking IDs."

The quinjet drew closer until it jolted to a standstill. Immediately, she was ushered out the back and pushed onto the helicarrier. The second her feet touched the deck, the quinjet was in the air.

A man with a clipboard jogged towards her. She held up her key card, careful to cover the picture. He barely glanced at it before nodding and moving to another part of the helicarrier.

While she was overjoyed to have fooled her first SHIELD employee, it was concerning how easily she was overlooked. A giant, important, spy organization should have been more secure than this. Or maybe it was just the one negligent employee.

And that was exactly what SHIELD was: giant and important. Thinking about that gave her goosebumps. The idea of it was scary, but standing in their base alone was downright terrifying. SHIELD headquarters was much more intimidating without Bruce to hang on to. Saniya found herself wishing for the mild-mannered scientist to be back by her side.

* * *

Clint pointed to a speck below them. "There she is. Should you call him or should I?"

Natasha pulled her phone from her jeans pocket. "I will. It is my plan. He'll want to hear it from me."

He pursed his lips. "He'll either give you a raise or rip you a new one, Nat." Clint pressed the button labeled 'autopilot'. He leaned back in his chair, watching the ocean waves. The quinjet was programmed to fly in a circle a mile east from the designated pick up zone.

Her finger floated above Fury's number. The odds favored her. She was one of Fury's favorite agents. Natasha's mouth curved upwards. It wasn't like she needed a raise, but it would be nice to have extra money.

" _Agent Romanoff."_

"Director Fury, I've called to inform you that Saniya Ramakrishna is breaking a prisoner out of a SHIELD cell."

There was a pause. " _And how is she going to manage that? This is our most secure base_."

"That's exactly why I'm calling," Natasha replied. "I need you to make it less secure."

" _You better give me a damned good reason, agent_."

She watched Clint start up the laptop and slip a pair of headphones on his ears. He gave her a thumbs up.

"You want to see what she's capable of. I'm giving her a chance to showcase her talents," she explained. "Plus, she might be able to get something out of Elliot. We're recording all everything. She's bound to reveal something."

The long sigh on the other end of the phone told her everything she needed to know: Fury was going to do exactly as she said. He was just as curious as her.

" _I put too much faith in you. If she causes harm to any of my agents, I will have her arrested, no matter what Thor or you say_ ," said Fury. " _And don't expect I won't have any surprises of my own. I might cook up something interesting for her_."

"Understood," Natasha said before she hung up. She peeked over Clint's shoulder. "How far along is she?"

"Just got inside the base. Nearly ran into a dozen people and raised some eyebrows." Clint shook his head. "She's terrible at this."

She yanked the headphones off Clint's head. "Let me talk to her."

* * *

Saniya nearly cheered when she made it inside of the base. It was a small victory that should be celebrated, even though she had a long way to go.

But, her happiness was short-lived. When she looked at her surroundings, she found herself lost. Bruce had known the way to the cells, so there was no reason for her to pay attention to which way they went. Nothing looked familiar.

Despite the distressed expression on her face, no one stopped to offer help. SHIELD employees rushed through the hallways like ants, all minding their own business. There were no signs or maps to direct her. None that she could see, at least. SHIELD headquarters was not visitor friendly.

Right as she was about to ask someone for directions, Natasha's voice buzzed in her ear. " _You're staying in one place too long_."

Saniya glanced over her shoulder to see if someone was watching her. "I don't know which way to go."

" _Left_."

Since she hadn't steered her wrong yet, Saniya took Natasha's word for it.

" _Stop looking like a sad puppy and straighten your back_. _Be as straight as the vest. Slouching is a sign of insecurity and weakness_."

Her back aligned with the vest. The thick material was no longer jabbing into her ribs. Now, with her personal GPS, all she had to worry about was putting one foot in front of the other. With each step, she felt her confidence blooming.

Here she was, looking smoking hot in Natasha's leather suit and feeling like a queen. Just like when she wore Pepper's clothing, she had the respect of those passing by, whether with a 'ma'am' or a curt nod. The simple acknowledgment of her existence was liberating. Her ego was inflating, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight it. And all of that because of a change of outfit.

" _Go right and_ —"

" _Well, well, well. I expected this behavior from Clint, but you, Natasha? I expected more_ ," a deep, male voice cooed. " _I'm not angry, just disappointed._ "

" _Tony, what are you doing?_ "

" _Just checking on my teammates like a good Iron Man. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where my quinjet is, would you? It's missing. I've put up posters all around New York, but no one has called in yet. I'm thinking of checking the nearest shelter for any sign of her_."

Saniya scratched her ear. It was hard to concentrate with him talking. While he was speaking, she almost missed the turn. A man, with obnoxiously thick glasses, glowered as she cut him off. She returned the glare with an equally nasty one.

Natasha sighed. " _We can talk about this later, but right now Saniya needs to concentrate_ ," she said.

" _Concentrate on what?_ " There was a suspiciously long pause and a sound of fingers drumming on a screen. " _Wow. How'd she get into SHIELD headquarters? Let me guess, this is off the books_."

Saniya struggled to keep her face neutral. "Be quiet," she hissed under her breath.

" _Maybe if you ask nicely_ ," he quipped. " _BRUCE, THOR, STEVE, LOOK AT THIS! SANIYA'S DOING ILLEGAL THINGS!_ "

Her hand flew to her ear and her face scrunched. A woman passing by gave her began to walk a little faster.

" _Ignore him_ ," Natasha told her. " _Clint's doing his best to block his signal._ "

It didn't take long for her to hear Steve, Bruce, and Thor on the line. Steve was scolding her and saying that they should tell Fury while Thor was worried about her safety. He kept saying that she was too mortal for dangerous missions, whatever he meant by that . Bruce kept his comments to a minimum, instead preferring to ask Natasha and Tony polite questions about what they were doing.

At least there was a rational voice in all this.

" _Isn't that the turn up there?_ " Bruce asked.

She stared further down the hallway. It was blocked off with tape and several custodians were mopping the floor. All traffic was blocked off, no matter the clearance level. She had been thwarted by some mops and a wet floor sign.

"What do I do now?"

" _Maybe you should turn back_ ," he suggested. Steve muttered in agreement.

Saniya huffed, slowing her steps to a stroll. "I'm not turning back."

Natasha told her of another route if she turned left and followed the side hallway to the prisoner cells. No one walked down that hallway. They didn't even look at it. Without the other people to make it less lonely, it was just one long hallway of nothingness. She already felt uneasy being in the helicarrier, and this only fueled her paranoia. Empty hallways always meant bad things were going to happen to the protagonist.

Saniya gripped the canister Natasha gave her. Too bad she didn't let her take the grappling hook. She, for a second, entertained the thought of shooting someone with a grappling hook.

Her black boots slapped against the metal floor, vibrating off the walls. The bravery that she had occasionally didn't show up. So, instead of being a powerful woman who could overcome any obstacle, she was a scared child.

" _You guys saw that too, right?_ " Tony asked.

She whipped her head around, expecting an ax murderer to be lurking behind her.

" _It's nothing,_ " Natasha told them. " _Just keep walking._ "

" _Keep walking._ Keep walking _?_ _There was a ripply thing on the screen, which means one thing_."

Saniya gulped. 'Ripply thing' hardly sounded scientific, so maybe he was messing with her. But what if he wasn't? Her hands whitened with her grip. "What does it mean?"

" _It means someone is hiding something from us. Watch that corner closely, Sani_."

His advice froze her blood, freezing her whole body in the process. No matter how much she tried, her legs wouldn't move any further. No way in hell would she go around the corner.

" _Keep walking_." She didn't move. " _You have to keep walking_ ," Natasha urged.

She shook her head.

There was a muffled sound of someone passing a microphone. " _Saniya, you're going to be okay_ ," Bruce said.

Her eyes closed. "I don't want to see what's around that corner, even if Tony is just screwing with me."

Tony gasped. " _It did the ripply thing again, closer this time_."

Saniya groaned. Now her legs were leading her backwards. "I think I'll just go a different route."

" _You have to go down this hallway,_ " Natasha said sternly.

Her eyes searched the end of the hallway for any movement. "Why? There are plenty of other hallways in this place. I'm sure more than one leads to the prison part of this flying deathtrap."

" _You are going down this hallway. End of discussion_ ," Natasha bit back.

Everyone fell silent. Her word was law. Saniya swallowed back her protests, but she still didn't walk forward. Now, she didn't want to continue out of principal. There was no good reason for her to continue this way.

" _Listen to me_ ," Bruce said, and she did. " _You seem pretty determined to free your sister. Despite my feelings on it, you need to keep going. You've come so far_."

Her boots stopped shifting backwards. "Why do you even care? She isn't your problem."

" _Because I don't want to see you fail. None of us do._ "

The weight of disappointing Bruce landed on her shoulders. Surprisingly, though, it didn't feel like a burden. It was more like wood added to a fire in her heart. She lifted her chin and held the canister out in front of her at arm's length. Whatever threat was lurking around the corner, she would be prepared.

" _You're a warrior, Lady Saniya. You can defeat any threat that comes your way._ "

Saniya smiled. "Thanks, Thor."

Just as she was about to turn the corner, a towering woman came into view. Agent Klemmer was exactly the same as when she met her: almost identical clothing and the same pulled-back hairstyle.

The agent regarded her in surprise. Then, her face contorted in anger. "I knew it," she growled. "I knew you were Hydra!"

Before she had time to explain that she wasn't a part of Hydra and that her reasons for breaking into SHIELD headquarters were more for personal gain than to infiltrate the organization, Agent Klemmer punched her in the face.

The sound of Saniya's jaw snapping out of place froze her to the core. She suddenly found herself unable to close her mouth or move as the agent landed another punch to the side of her head.

Through the rush of adrenaline and pain, she pulled back time. Her jawbone reattached to show no evidence of the punch Agent was tugged back around the corner, having no memory of what happened.

Saniya froze in place. There wasn't enough time to run or hide. So, she followed her instincts and flipped off the cap of the canister and blindly threw a punch when Agent Klemmer came into sight.

Though she had almost no time to react, she dodged and forced Saniya against the wall. One hand held against her neck and pressed against her stomach. Agent Klemmer's nails dug into her soft skin, lifting her until she was on the tips of her feet.

"It's you!" she snarled like a rabid dog. "I _warned_ them this would happen."

Her mind blanked as she saw the fist coming towards her face. Suddenly, everything slowed to a crawl. Agent Klemmer was moving like she was in molasses. With her free hand, Saniya tore the agent's hand from her neck.

She kicked Agent Klemmer in the shin and ducked under her arm right as time sped up. With two shaky hands, she aimed at Agent Klemmer's face. A yellow, sour smelling mist erupted from the can, painting her foe's face like the sun.

The agent dropped immediately, her body thudding against the metal. Saniya threw the canister aside and covered her nose with the sleeve of the suit.

" _Holy... did you just Flash out from under her arms?_ " Tony gaped.

"... No." Saniya tapped the fallen agent with her foot, looking for any sort of movement. Not even a flinch. "Bruce, what do I do?"

" _Why are you asking me? l don't have a lot of experience hiding bodies!_ " Bruce exclaimed.

Saniya stomped her feet with impatience. "I'm asking you, Bruce, because you're more level headed than me at the moment." The thrill of the fight was starting to wear off and her chin was numb. She felt where each knuckle had collided with her face. "Ouch, I think she broke my jaw," she muttered to herself.

Bruce paused. " _You passed a closet a little bit ago. She's not dead, is she?_ "

She picked up Agent Klemmer's feet and dragged. Just as he said, there was a closet close to where the hall ended. "No, unless Natasha lied about it being nonlethal." Saniya rotated her jaw. Agent Klemmer had an impressive punch.

" _It's nonlethal. She'll be out for half the day,"_ said Natasha. _"You handled that better than I thought you would."_

A small ember of pride found her heart. It grew exponentially after Thor complemented her warrior prowess. Not only did she take down a woman twice her size and much more skilled than her, she managed to impress two of the Avengers.

That felt good.

The last few feet to the closet, she pulled with all her strength. Something about dragging a body was stressful, so it was a relief to stuff the unconscious body behind a couple of brooms. With that out of the way, Saniya was free to save her sister.

" _This isn't right_ ," Steve said. His voice was faint due to him standing further away from the microphone. " _You can't just leave her there_."

She walked away from the closet without a second glance. Agent Klemmer hurt her, so it was only fair that she spent the rest of the day in a closet. The pain in her jaw was proof that she deserved some sort of consequence.

" _Saniya? It's your call what to do with her_ ," said Natasha.

She rounded the corner and pressed forward, not bothering to look back. She wanted Agent Klemmer to suffer a bit, but the displeasure in Steve's voice made her feel guilty. Whether it was from leaving someone alone in a closet or for letting down one of America's greatest hero, she wasn't sure.

"Can you call someone to get her?" she suggested. "Not until after we leave."

" _Sure. Take a right and you should be able to find the rest of the way yourself_." Natasha paused. " _You can find the rest of the way, right?_ "

She did as she was told. The smaller hallway emptied into another one with more people. It looked familiar. And when she peered further down, she saw guards patrolling the minimal-security prison entrance.

Saniya flashed her card. This time, they didn't let her pass right away. One of the guard's hands rested on his taser until he thoroughly examined her face. There was a flash of recognition, but they let her through without an incident.

She smiled to herself. Marsha as good as free.

* * *

Getting her sister out of SHIELD headquarters was surprisingly uneventful. No one stopped them. No one looked twice. Actually, people actively went out of their way to give them no attention. They turned their heads to avoid looking at them or brushed past without a second glance. And when she mentioned that to Natasha, she just said that it was their lucky day.

Natasha joined Clint in the cockpit, leaving Marsha and Saniya alone in the back. For some reason, she thought they would have more in common or never stop talking to each other. It wasn't every day that two long lost sisters were reunited. But the longer Marsha stared at her with doe eyes, the more Saniya's words escaped her.

This was her _sister_ , yet she wasn't sure how she had a sister. She wasn't adopted —Saniya refused to believe that— and Marsha was a year younger than her. After her parents immigrated to the United States, her mother became pregnant with Saniya. They never returned to India, even though Marsha claimed that she was born there.

Their stories weren't adding up.

"So," she started, then rubbed her jaw, "what about your parents? What're they like?"

Marsha blinked. "You mean the ones who adopted me?" she asked. Saniya nodded. Her sister sat by her side, their shoulders bouncing against each other at any sign of turbulence. "They're the best. They're missionaries for the church we go to in California. That's how they found me, by going on a mission to Rajasthan. What about your parents?"

Saniya frowned and mentally swore at herself. She hated talking about her parents, yet she was the one to bring up the subject.

"They're... the worst." The look Marsha was giving her made her want to vomit. Pity mixed with disbelief. "I mean, they weren't always that way, but..."

She glanced towards the cockpit. Both Clint and Natasha were too preoccupied with their own conversation. "What happened?" Marsha asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

That was something she never told anyone. Not even Dorie knew the entire story. Telling Marsha about her family troubles was an unnerving thought. But, if the Avengers or SHIELD killed her for the stunt she just pulled, one person had to know. Plus, she couldn't say no to Marsha. Not with the way her little sister was staring at her.

Saniya attempted to rub the numbness from her chin. "I had an arranged marriage with some guy who lives in India. My parents had one and so did my grandparents, so they wanted to keep up the tradition." She shrugged. "I thought it was cool when I was young, like a fairytale or something. Thought it would be love at first sight. All the romance without any of the awkward beginning phases."

Marsha's eyes widened. They were so full of hope. "And was it?"

"I never went through with the wedding. My parents pretty much disowned me after that."

Her sister deflated. "Oh. Why didn't you?"

She sighed. Out of everything they could be talking about, it _had_ to be this. "I met someone who made me see that arranged marriages aren't for me. Plus, I was just twenty-two! Who wants to get married at twenty-two?"

Marsha's jaw slackened and her hands wrapped around her arm. She was under the impression that this someone was Prince Charming who swept Saniya away from all her troubles.

"Who was it? Are you still together?"

Saniya bit her lip. "No. We broke up within two months of getting together." A laugh threatened to escape at Marsha's confused expression. "We kind of grew to hate each other."

Surprising her, Marsha rested her head on Saniya's shoulder. "That's terrible."

"Not terrible," she corrected. "We were never going to last. I just dated him to give my parents an excuse they would believe. For some reason, they had it stuck in their mind that I was as excited about the wedding as they were." They hit another patch of turbulence, causing Marsha's hold to tighten.

The quinjet started to descend. Clint turned in his seat. "Buckle up girls, we're about to land."

Marsha's bottom lip quivered. Saniya found herself clasping hands with her sister. It was odd to think that she was comforting her sibling, but it felt natural.

"I won't let them take you away," she promised.

"You won't?"

Saniya shook her head. "They'll have to get through me, and probably Thor to get to you. You're in good hands."

Hopefully, she wasn't unintentionally lying to the only family she gave a damn about.


	12. Chapter 11

**Guess what! The Hulk is coming in the next update! I am sooo excited to write him and Saniya. Trust me, it's going to get intense when they meet, haha. The last few days I haven't had any wifi, even though I had this finished. But everything's working now, so there will be a lot more writing coming your way. Thank you everyone for you support. I truly appreciate it.**

 **Katie Moon: I thought she was pretty fun too, so I'm happy you think so. Sneaky Natasha is the _best_. I love it when she's like that. Yeah, things are not so great for Dorie right now, but that might change ;)**

 **apoorva: I'm so happy that you like my story! I hope you continue enjoying it :) Thank you**

* * *

Saniya, Clint, Natasha, and Marsha walked into the tower to the sound of Tony's slow clap. He had ambushed them outside the quinjet landing pad, along with the rest of the Avengers. Marsha hid her small body behind Saniya's.

The 'lobby' outside of the landing pad was a lot like the living room back on their floor, except for the view of the quinjet. Couches were arranged in a square with the same coffee table between them. There was the same floors and lighting too. It was familiar, but the familiar territory wasn't enough to calm her nerves.

"That was a nice trick you played. Kudos to you," Tony complimented. He flicked his hand towards the landing pad. "Now, put her back."

Saniya shook her head. "She's not going back."

The billionaire crossed his arms. " _Oh?_ Okay then. But where is she going to stay? Have you thought about that? Because she's not staying in my tower."

Pepper placed her hand on his arm. "Tony—"

His glare didn't waver. "We don't know her. She could be a psychopath for all we know," he protested. "She's not staying with us, and that's final." Tony angled his body towards Pepper, resting his hand on her back. "And I'm not so sure about Speedy, anymore."

Thor crossed the distance between them. His large, puppy dog eyes glanced between the woman hiding behind her and Tony. "Lady Saniya, is it true that this is your sister?" he asked.

While the few doubts that still lingered popped into her mind, when she looked back at Marsha's terrified expression, she knew that it was still true. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she is. You can't let them take her away."

The Asgardian nodded. "You have my word," he said with conviction.

"No! You don't have his word! I veto his word," Tony interjected. Bruce sighed. He turned to the scientist. "My tower is my domain. I have the power to veto."

Thor frowned. "Do you not want to house Lady Saniya's family?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope! Not at all! I know that she can make blood rain from the sky and probably a bunch of other voodoo. Can't risk that," he snapped. He pointed at Saniya. "What about you? What's the crazy you're bringing to the table?"

Her eyes widened and slowly moved to hide part of her body behind Thor. Marsha moved with her. Though he wasn't wearing Asgardian armor, she hoped he was intimidating enough in his black t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I don't know what you mean," she lied.

Clint rolled his shoulders. "We all saw the surveillance footage," he reminded her. "You're pretty much outed."

Her hand clasped around Thor's bicep, well, as much as her hand could hold on to. She lifted her chin. "No, I'm not! There's nothing wrong with me and I—" She caught Natasha's gaze. "I'm normal," Saniya finished.

Natasha crossed her arms, her calculating eyes taking her in. "Well, normal is terribly boring."

"That's me! I'm boring."

Steve scratched under his cast with a fork. "You need to tell us the truth. SHIELD needs to know if you have any sort of abilities."

The space between Thor's eyebrows creased. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. Something registered with him; there was a shift of understanding in his expression.

Thor dropped his hand on her shoulder. Her knees buckled, but she quickly fixed herself. "What does it matter if she has abilities or not? I do not understand why we are not celebrating Lady Saniya's arrival. She brought a guest. Does that not warrant a celebration?"

Tony clasped Pepper's hand and jabbed at Saniya with the other. "Because she could go 'Loki' on us at any moment. I don't trust that." He dropped his finger. "Sorry, big guy. She may be your friend, but you have to admit that she's hiding some shady stuff from us."

Steve nodded. He was, for the first time in a while, actually looking at Tony with something other than contempt. "We have no reason to trust her."

Saniya kicked at the floor. She sucked a placating breath through her nose. There were fewer options than before. If she wanted to get through this without ruining her entire life, she would have to play it smart.

"If I tell one of you guys about my abilities," she started, "not that I have any, of course! But if I did tell one of you, would you let me and Marsha stay?"

Marsha gripped the tight leather on her arm. She shook her head but refused to speak. Being in the same room as the Avengers was enough to turn her mute.

Tony narrowed his eyes. Pepper rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "Sure, I'll bite. Who is this special person?"

"Thor," she answered as if it was obvious, and it was. Thor was her best option. Plus, he was her friend. It was about time she clued him in to what was happening with her.

Clint groaned. "He's the most biased one here! Just tell all of us and get it over with."

"No!"

"It's important that we know," Steve reasoned.

She practically melted into Thor's side. "No way! I'm only telling Thor and no one else."

Steve helplessly looked towards Thor. "You understand why we can't have that, right? I'm sorry, but you've known her the longest—"

The Asgardian stiffened. "Are you suggesting that I would betray my friends? My comrades in arms?" he asked in a tone between a growl and innocent confusion.

"Of course not. You know I wouldn't suggest that, but—"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze at Bruce's voice. Natasha and Clint took a large step back, as well as Tony, Pepper, and Steve. Thor stood his ground, but he was now completely in front of her and Marsha. His hand was posed to call Mjolnir. Saniya poked her head out from behind his large body.

Bruce shook his head with disgust while his first two fingers felt his pulse. He sucked in a large breath. "Don't you all see? She's terrified of us! That's why she isn't telling us what she can do."

Saniya bit back a retort that she wasn't terrified. Wary, or perhaps cautious were better words to describe her feelings. But since he seemed like he was beginning a defense for her secrecy, she decided to let him continue.

Natasha quirked an eyebrow. "And why would she be terrified of us?"

She froze when Bruce's eyes connected with hers. A wave of relief washed over her. Bruce understood, to some degree. He was on her side.

"Yeah," Tony cut in. "I can see why she's afraid of Spidey and Capsicle, but me? _I'm_ not scary unless I want to be."

"It's because we're connected with SHIELD and look what they did to her sister." Marsha burrowed her face in Saniya's back. "They locked her in a cell and did who know's what else. What will they do with Saniya?"

She crossed her arms and leaned her weight on her friend. "Probably the same thing."

He wrung his hands. His breathing was less erratic than before. "Maybe. They might not, because of Thor." At the mention of his name, Thor puffed out his chest. "But if you were in her shoes, would you take that risk?"

Steve glanced down at the floor, an internal war raging over his face. Bruce's words were eating away at him at a rapid speed. "I'm willing to compromise," he announced. There was a slight hesitance to his next words. "If you tell one of us, other than Thor, everyone else can stay in the dark."

"Really, Cap?" Tony hissed under his breath, but his comment went unaddressed.

The compromise was fair. Actually, it was more than fair. She owed them a few answer and this was the best she was going to get. So, Saniya eagerly seized her opportunity. It was hardly a question of which Avenger she would pick.

"I'll tell Bruce."

Tony scoffed. "Typical. Picking the safe choice." Pepper elbowed his side.

Natasha, in an effort to bring the argument to an end, spoke up. "I am fine with this. Everyone agrees?" The Avengers nodded. "Good. Jarvis, switch to the privacy setting." Tony swore under his breath as Jarvis followed her command. Any chance of him eavesdropping was crushed.

Clint began to walk out of the lounge area, then froze. "Marsha? I can help you find clean clothes if you want."

She shied out from behind Saniya and Thor, who hadn't bothered moving. Her eyes flickered between Clint and Saniya. Saniya didn't know Clint well, but she hoped he was a man of his word and didn't kick Marsha out while she wasn't looking. The small bob of her head was enough for Marsha. She, like a barnacle, attached herself to Clint and let him lead the way.

Saniya looked around the room. Neither was she trained to spot listening devices nor had any hope of noticing them, but she still looked. "Are you sure there aren't any bugs or stuff like that in here?"

"Tony scans the tower quite regularly," Bruce replied. "SHIELD isn't listening in."

She caught his eyes lower on her body, but he quickly jerked them back to her face. Was... Bruce checking her out?

He sat on the large couches facing the glass in which she could see the quinjet launching pad. Saniya didn't give Thor much of a choice when she guided him to the loveseat in front of the scientist. Thor was the only person she fully trusted in the tower, so she wasn't going to let him leave her side.

She set her hands on her lap and met Bruce's expecting gaze. "So… it's nothing special and is not worth all this commotion, but I can…" A brief thought passed her mind of lying about her abilities, but then she looked at Bruce. Saniya couldn't lie to him. He deserved more than that. "I can go five seconds back in time. See! Nothing super great."

Thor twisted his mouth into a contemplative frown. "You do not have the powers of the _seiðr_?"

"Nope."

Suddenly, Thor didn't look so sure. His forehead creased and his eyes were downcast to the floor.

Bruce readjusted his glasses. "And you were born like this?"

That question wasn't as easy to answer considering she didn't know the answer. "Maybe. It didn't really begin until five years ago," she told him.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear," he said with a placating tone, "but do you mind if I perform some tests? If you really have this—"

"No," she snapped. His eyes widened. "I just want to be left alone. Do you understand?"

The light in his eyes dulled. Bruce avoided eye contact with her, instead staring at the same spot on the floor Thor was looking at. He nodded slowly. "I understand more than anybody." His palms rubbed against his pants. "Thank you for being honest."

"I didn't have much of a choice."

His eyes met hers again. "You did, and you made the right one."

She felt a heat rise to her cheeks.

"And what about when you moved from under the agent? You moved faster than anyone I have ever seen," he added.

Saniya stilled. That… was something unexpected. Even to her. "I don't know. That never happened to me before."

Thor then said something that made her stiffen. "You are becoming more powerful. I can feel it."

Bruce pursed his lips. "You can feel it?''

The Asgardian nodded. "Yes. It was not sudden and had been building up for many days, but I do sense it. I do not know if it is a natural increase in your abilities or unnatural." Thor bent his head. "Are you certain you do not contain the power of the _seiðr_?"

"Yes!" Saniya bit the inside of the cheek when she saw Bruce's face. He was just as unconvinced as Thor. "Any other questions?"

Bruce stayed silent for a moment. The gears in his brain turned at a fast speed. "This might seem like a silly question, but you don't actually jump off the bridges, do you?" Saniya grinned and hid a laugh behind her hand. That was enough of an answer for him to know that he was right. Bruce somehow managed to connect the dots and was not pleased with being right. His mouth opened then closed. "Oh, wow."

"It's actually a lot of fun when you can just reverse time," Saniya confessed. "I have jumped off the balcony here several times. No big deal."

The scientists stared at her with an unreadable emotion. "No big deal," he repeated. "As your doctor, I'm going to suggest you don't do that anymore."

"No, thank you. It's fine." Thor chuckled. "I should check on Marsha. She's probably freaking out." As she stood up, she turned to Bruce. "You promise you won't tell them anything, right?"

Bruce engulfed her small hand with his larger one. His skin was so much warmer than hers. "I promise."

* * *

Pepper and Tony's floor had been under renovation for quite some time. But, as he claimed, he would rather live on a floor with an unfinished bathroom than sleep two rooms away from the 'blood lady'. Marsha just ducked her head whenever he called her that, but each time made Saniya's blood boil.

The billionaire kept Pepper away from Saniya and Marsha by either literally herding her a different direction or giving her a box to carry. Tony was in so much of a flurry that everyone knew not to argue with him; even Pepper let him do what he wanted without complaint. She kept giving Marsha and Saniya an apologetic smile that Marsha always returned. Tony chose to glare at them instead. In his eyes, they were dangerous people threatening the one he loved. Nothing anyone said would change that.

Tony offered everyone else a chance to move. Of course, it would be in smaller rooms or sharing with someone already staying in the tower, but he offered.

Steve was conflicted. Several times he picked up a cardboard box that had been brought up by Pepper's assistant, then put it back. Natasha, Clint, Bruce, and Thor made no move to pack their stuff. Despite not moving floors, the assassins still kept a wary eye on Saniya and Marsha.

The way the Avengers were acting made Saniya angry. She had known they would treat her differently if they found out she had abilities. It was also expected that they would have a bad reaction to Marsha. She knew this back then but still kicked herself for being surprised. Somehow, she thought the defenders of the earth would be more understanding.

All this was avoidable. If only she hadn't been so curious about Christopher. When she discretely asked Marsha if she knew him, she just blinked and said no. Accusing Marsha of being a conspirator with a terrorist was ridiculous. Marsha had never even met the guy.

A part of her wish she knew that from the beginning. Nothing would have changed. She wouldn't be the most hated person in the then again, she never would have met Marsha.

Marsha giggled as Clint told another joke. She already completely trusted Natasha and Clint, despite them tricking her into SHIELD custody. Saniya didn't understand why. If she were Marsha, she wouldn't be within fifty feet of them, let alone talk to them.

Tony slammed a box on the floor of the elevator. "That's it. I'll send someone to get the rest of the stuff later," he said. "Anybody else want to join me? Sharing isn't my forte, but I _suppose_ I will make an exception."

Natasha ran her hands through Clint's hair, leaning her body against his chest. "We're staying. Someone needs to watch her." She winked at Marsha, whose cheeks turned a bright red. Clint rolled his eyes and smacked her arm.

"Capsicle?" Tony raised his eyebrows.

"I was planning to look for apartments, anyways. I can stay for now."

He shrugged. "What 'bout you, Doc?"

Bruce glanced up from his notepad where there were notes written in another language.

"I'll stay."

Tony snapped his fingers. "Forgot to tell you, but that lab I was talking to you about is completely refurbished. New Hulk Tank and everything. Now, you can just ride the elevator up and don't have to walk past _people_."

Bruce shot him a shy grin. "I'll look at it later."

Tony slapped his palms on his thighs. There was no point in asking Thor if he was staying or not. "Well, finally we're getting the space you've been complaining about," he commented to Pepper.

" _I_ wasn't the one who was complaining." Pepper turned to Marsha. "Don't feel like we're moving because of you. We've been talking about this—"

"Ah, no," Tony interrupted. "She's definitely most of the reason."

He shut his mouth when Pepper glared at him. She motioned towards the ceiling and Jarvis closed the doors, after they said their goodbyes. The elevator hummed for a couple of moments as it propelled them to their personal floor.

It only took exactly two seconds after their departure for Clint to go back to joking with Marsha and Natasha. "Thor! Come here and show her your hammer. I need it as a prop!"

Thor lifted up Mjolnir and practically skipped over to the three. Saniya rested her chin in her hands with annoyance. She sighed. There was nothing worse than sitting in silence. Her eyes found Bruce.

Startling the shy scientist, she plopped next to him on the couch.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "I forgive you for not telling me about Marsha right away," she said. She let her head fall backwards. "Wow, that kind of sounded self-centered since you don't even seem sorry about it."

He nodded with a small smile, but his eyebrows drew together. He probably didn't even know she was still mad in the first place. "Sounded like something Tony would say."

She turned her head just enough to watch his face. Her neck rested against the back of the couch. "I meant that I'm not mad at you about it anymore. You're sort of helping me out by not telling the Avengers what I can do, and it doesn't feel right to stay angry at you."

"It's nice to be on good terms with you, again." Bruce opened his notepad and effectively shut her out. Saniya frowned and scooted closer to him.

"What language is that? Hindi, right?" She leaned over his shoulder to have a better look at what he had written.

He paused mid-character. "Yes. A mix of it and Bengali." Bruce brought his pen back to the notebook.

Saniya watched him write smoothly across the paper. There was hardly any hesitation after he wrote word after word. It was as natural to him as it was for her to write English. She sat, transfixed at the smooth movement of his hand for an embarrassing amount of time.

The words were familiar to her. Her parents had never gotten around to teaching her the language. They were always busy with work and life in general to teach her much about their homeland. But, she did remember her parents writing notes in Hindi. Sometimes she'd just stare at them and beg them to tell her what a word meant.

"What are you writing about?" she asked.

Bruce's hand stilled. "Tony has been having some ideas for inventions and I'm recording my thoughts."

She rested her cheek by his shoulder, not quite touching. "Are they stupid ideas?" Because of the way he was acting to Marsha, she really wanted to hear some dirt.

He cleared his throat to hide a laugh. "Some of them, yes. He's been thinking about placing a waste disposal in one of his suits. Of course, there are a number of problems, mainly sanitation and where the fecal matter goes after... you know. He wants me to come up with a way around that."

Natasha, appearing out of nowhere, rested her hands next to Saniya's head. "If you figure it out, he'll never take the suit off."

"That's exactly why I don't want to help him. He wears them too much already."

Saniya tapped his shin with her bare foot. "Then why are you? Just tell him no."

Bruce frowned. He dropped his head back down to look at his notepad. "It's not that simple to say no to Tony."

It also didn't help that he was a huge pushover. Bruce caved in to the littlest of things when she asked him to the past few days. Saniya assumed he was like that with everyone.

Natasha smirked and shifted her body towards her. "I see you're still wearing the suit I loaned you," she said to Saniya.

She nodded. "Yeah, it makes me feel hot, so I'm wearing it for as long as I can." Bruce turned his head slightly then forced himself to look back at his notebook.

The expression on Natasha's face made her stomach crawl. "So, you're going to still wear it when the Director of SHIELD comes to talk to you?"

Saniya shrugged. "I mean, it makes me feel confident and hell yeah—" Her heart stopped for a fraction of a second. "Wait. Wait, wait, _wait_. The Director of SHIELD?"

Natasha straightened her back. "Yes. He's been wanting to speak with you for a while."

There was a moment where her mind absorbed the information, then the next she was on her feet and pacing. "Oh shit. Oh crap!" Saniya balled a hand in her hair. "You're lying to me. You have to be."

Bruce watched her carefully. "I don't believe she is, Saniya."

She stopped. "You think so?" Bruce nodded. Saniya groaned then continued her pacing.

A number of different thoughts rushed through her head. One of them being that she was going to yell at the Director for keeping the Avengers out of the public eye. That was on the top of her priority list. Also at the top was to appear as normal as possible. She was only an innocent waitress. Nothing more, nothing less.

"So," she began, "let's assume you're telling the truth, when do you think he will arrive?"

Just as Natasha was opening her mouth, Jarvis interrupted.

" _Ms. Ramakrishna, Director Fury is en route to this floor. He requests to meet with you alone_."

Clint rocked on the back legs of the chair, balancing at a perfect angle. "Welp, his requests should be taken like orders. Doesn't Cap have a doctor's appointment today for his arm?"

Steve furrowed his brow. His good hand rested on his cast. "Yes, but it's not until six."

"Then we will move it up a few hours and go together. Team building, plus Marsha!"

A pang of fear overrode her senses as the Avengers and her sister moved towards the elevator. Just seconds ago she was feeling like she could kick this Director Fury's butt with good arguments and sassy comments. But now, without any sort of backup, she felt as intimidating as a field mouse. She couldn't be brave if she was standing alone.

Her heart jumped as Clint pressed the down button. "You guys aren't really going to leave me here at SHIELD's mercy, are you?" she asked nervously.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Don't look so scared, _котёнок_ , he just wants to talk."

"Yeah, talk then slit my throat!" she exclaimed.

Thor stepped towards her, but Natasha held out her arm to stop him. "He's not going to hurt her."

Marsha's tense body uncoiled at those words. She took them to heart immediately while Saniya found it difficult to believe the slightest.

They stepped into the elevator. As a last ditch effort, she whined Bruce's name. If anyone would cave in, it would be him, as bad as it sounded. But, apparently Bruce did have a backbone. "We wouldn't leave you here if we thought anything bad would happen to you," he assured.

And, with that and a command to Jarvis to allow Marsha access to the medical bay, they were gone.

"How long do I have until he's here?"

" _Approximately ten seconds_."

She resisted the urge to jump off the balcony. "Can you please give me access to the lobby so that I can escape?"

" _I cannot do that_ ," Jarvis replied.

There was only one option, and that was to stand her ground. Well, actually there were two: standing her ground or hiding underneath a bed, but she was certain Jarvis would rat her out. So, she was forced to not look scared out of her mind and instead appear confident. The leather suit helped with that. It was quite empowering to wear.

She readjusted the bra-vest and straightened her back. Even if she didn't feel unstoppable, she was going to act like it.

All these thoughts almost disappeared when she laid eyes on Director Fury for the first time.

He wore a long, black trench coat that wrapped around his body in the same way dark mist wraps around villians. The scowl on his face sent a shiver down her spine. Despite one eye being covered by an eyepatch, his glare paralyzed her.

An agent, much smaller in stature, stood behind him. She wore a black hijab over her head, not a single hair out of place. The woman was dressed in secretary-like clothing, a skirt, and a purple blouse. Despite the non-agent attire, she still looked like one. She stood just like Natasha. In her hands were thick packets of paper and an ink pad.

"You've caused some problems for me," Fury said. He walked further in the room with the agent right at his heels. "I hope that after today you won't cause any more."

Saniya resisted the urge to rock on her heels. "No promises." She pointed at the mystery woman. "Who's that?"

The woman lifted her chin. "My name is Agent Musa. I will serve as witness."

She took a step backwards. Her tough facade crumbled. "To my murder?" she squeaked.

Agent Musa tilted her head. "No. To the signing of these documents."

Fury lounged on the couch with his hands behind his head. The agent sat next to him and spread the documents across the coffee table. Saniya, at a loss of what she should be doing, stood awkwardly in front of them.

The director stared at her with his one eye. "Agent Romanoff has quite a bit to say about you." He held out his hand and Agent Musa handed him a piece of paper.

Saniya blanched. "She's lying," she accused.

His eyebrows rose. "You don't even know what she said and you're accusing her of lying?" Agent Musa smothered a smile. Fury skimmed the piece of paper. "Agent Romanoff is a trusted agent. Everything she says will be taken at a higher value than your word, remember that."

He flipped the page.

"She compliments you in here, which is surprising," Fury examined her as if trying to figure out what exactly Natasha saw that was worth complimenting. "She recommends no disciplinary action for attacking Agent Klemmer and releasing a dangerous prisoner. I have half a mind to agree with her. She brings up several good points."

Saniya sighed, wondering when Natasha had time to write a whole packet about her. "This is the point where you blackmail me or something."

Fury gave her a dark chuckle. "Or something. Agent Musa, the report. Main points, please."

"' _Saniya Ramakrishna exhibits several skills that may benefit SHIELD or other allies. Through observation, I am certain she possesses abilities beyond the normal human capacity that may be used to SHIELD's advantage_.'" Agent Musa cleared her throat. " _While she shows a substantial weakness in environment observation and exhibits moments of aggressive behavior, passive and active (see Dorie E. Hughes, Robert B. Banner, and Judith S. Klemmer), she demonstraits specific traits for a retrieval specialist. It is not recommended she works with live targets or involved in deep undercover work_.'"

She frowned at the onslaught of words that meant nothing to her. Nowhere in there was the compliment Directory Fury promised. But, the cat was out of the bag since Natasha mentioned abilities. SHIELD had to at least suspect something if Natasha hadn't already told them everything.

"What traits are needed to be a retrieval specialist?"

Agent Musa brushed a piece of hair behind the fabric of her hijab. "They must be able to judge risk and be able to get themselves out of... sticky situations. They are responsible for important data and cannot be killed or captured at any cost."

"In short," Fury added, "you can't have a hero complex like Captain Rogers and spend all your time saving helpless citizens during a mission."

Saniya frowned. "Well, I refuse to become a retrieval specialist, so your time was wasted. Sorry."

He narrowed his eyes. "You do not have a choice in this matter." Agent Musa pushed forward a packet that looked like a contract. One page said 'confidentiality agreement' and the other was labeled 'employee application'. "You were told about the Battle of New York. We never intended to let you go in the first place. You're too close to Thor for us to let you roam free."

She covered her face with her hands. "Why do I have a feeling that Natasha was planning this out from the first moment she met me?" Saniya muttered under her breath.

Fury regarded her with a cold stare. "Mr. Stark refused to sign right away as well. Will you sign this willingly, or shall I use other methods to make you cooperate?"

She uncovered her face and balled her fists. "I'm not going to ruin my life and work for you guys. I'm not signing."

"Even if I threaten to take Ms. Elliot back?" Saniya's resolve faltered. "We have a large number of doctors excited to examine her. They'll be pleased to get their test subject back."

A part of her immediately wanted to say she would sign, but then she remembered all the things SHIELD had done. They had kidnapped and imprisoned her sister. Not to mention they almost killed Saniya with the truck and had murdered Christopher. And if they were keeping up their streak, Fury most likely sent Agent Klemmer to her on purpose. Joining them would only increase the secrecy, the deception. Not to mention, chances were that she would die on the job than of old age. Saniya wasn't willing to live that sort of life for her.

She cared for Marsha, but not enough to make her live that sort of hell.

"Like you said, I don't have a hero complex like Captain Rogers. No."

Fury's eye widened with momentary surprise, but it was quickly covered. The Director did not come with only one threat in his pocket. "What about you? What if I were to take you back against your will? I can easily bring both of you back to the helicarrier and never let you see the sun again. It is within my power."

His threat rattled her rib cage. The beats of her heart threatened to be as loud as a bass drum.

"Thor would never let you," she argued, lacking the confidence it held before.

Director Fury opened his palms. "He will if Jane Foster is in our custody."

Jane Foster. _Great_. There was no way she could compete with the love of Thor's life.

Saniya forced herself to look closer at the packets. "If I say yes, there will be no experiments on me?"

"Correct."

"Will I be free to live my own life?"

"To an extent. You will need to be able to leave on a mission at any given notice. SHIELD will take highest priority," he explained. "Agent Musa will be your handler. You will report to her on your training progress."

Her lips curled downward. "Training? Who will be training me?"

Fury shifted through the papers until he came to the right one. "Normally it would be the one who wrote the recommendation, but Agent Romanoff refuses to train any new recruits. Agent Barton will train you every once in a while, however, Agent Musa is prepared to take over at any moment."

Her breakfast threatened to spew from her mouth in a tidal wave of nausea. She could not be put in a cell. That wasn't something she ever wanted to experience. Impending death or imprisonment for life; the ultimate choice. Neither were good and both made her want to crawl in a hole.

In an attempt to salvage whatever pride she had left, she straightened her back and lifted her chin. "I'll sign, but I will read through everything and argue about anything I don't like."

Agent Musa and Director Fury shared a look, then he rolled his eyes. She handed Saniya the employee application.

"I want that brought to my desk the first thing tomorrow morning." There was no room for discussion.

Fury pushed forward the confidentiality agreement with his pointer finger. "And this needs to be signed now. It guarantees you won't release any information of the Avengers or the Battle of New York to any unauthorized individuals."

Saniya huffed, all her anger returning to her. She swatted the packet of papers back. "There's no way I'm ever signing that. The public needs to know about the Avengers. Keeping everyone in the dark is the stupidest—"

"Miss Ramakrishna," Fury loudly interrupted. She cringed under his gaze. His voice reminded her of Thor's, just as loud but without the kindness. "You seem to have forgotten who I am. I am the Director of SHIELD. If you think that I will sit here and listen to you ramble on about what is right and what is wrong, then you are very mistaken."

Agent Musa gestured towards the contract. "I suggest you sign without further complaint."

God, she hated SHIELD. As much as she wanted to press the issue, Saniya did have a sense of self-preservation. So, instead of following through with her rant, she forced her mouth closed.

Agent Musa flipped to the page where she needed to sign. Saniya couldn't watch herself signing her name, so she closed her eyes as she did so. Fury sighed, but she was signing the stupid contract, so why would he say anything?

The agent wrote her name on the witness signature line. She opened the ink pads and flipped the page. Without so much as asking for permission to touch her like Bruce did, she grabbed Saniya's thumb and marked her thumbprint, followed by the rest of her fingers.

She gulped, closing in on herself. "Can you leave now?"

Agent Musa gathered the papers. "Thank you for your cooperation." Saniya mocked her with a high pitched voice under her breath. Unfortunately, Agent Musa heard her. The agent turned her head as she pressed the elevator button. "It could have gone much worse. Be thankful for that."

"Wise words, Agent Musa." Fury gave Saniya a pointed look. "Tomorrow morning."

* * *

Saniya screamed into her pillow for the millionth time while Thor watched. He rubbed her shoulders as she released her frustrations.

She flopped on her back. "I hate him!"

"You have made your feelings for him quite clear."

Her hands hit her face. "He _belittled_ me. I couldn't even yell at him for making the Avengers some giant secret." Thor removed her hands from her face. "Why was he so hard to stand up to?"

He shifted his weight, making the bed creak. The piece of furniture threatened to collapse under his weight. "He is an intimidating man. There is no shame in losing a battle to someone such as him."

"There is when the battle is what is going to happen for the rest of my life!" She smacked herself in the face with the employee application. "I'm pathetic," she hissed into the paper. "I could have at least fought harder or something. Maybe I should have hit him."

He tsked her. "I have full faith that you made the right decision." Thor took away the employee application she began hitting herself with and set it on the bedside table.

"You weren't even there!" she exclaimed. The pillow landed back on her face. It was like a rubber band snapping: sudden and took her by surprise. Her yells of hate turned to cries. Warm tears soaked into the pillow. "I-I don't w-want to work for him."

Thor lifted her into a bone-crushing hug. She sniffled into his shirt collar. "I do not know how to help you, Lady Saniya."

The tears soaked into the fabric of his shirt. "D-Don't worry about it, Thor. I'm just being a dramatic child. More dramatic than usual." She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "It's my parents all over again, except in the form of an organization that can k-kill me. They're taking over my life and it feels sucky."

His arms tightened around her. "I will not let them kill you. No friend of mine will be harmed if I can help it," Thor promised. "SHIELD has a noble side. I'm sure you will no longer be afraid when you see it."

She pulled out of the hug. The tears, what was once a waterfall, was now a small trickle. Thor had to know how much he meant to her. She had to tell him. He was an angel for putting up with her. Even she was getting annoyed with herself, and for him to stay by her side for so long deserved an award.

"Have I ever told you that you're my best friend?" Her bottom lip trembled.

He grinned. "You are one of my greatest of friends, also, Lady Saniya."

Saniya hit his arm lightly. "One of the greatest? I'm not the _best_?"

"I have many friends," he joked, "it would be considered rude to have a favorite."

A small giggle escaped through her tears. "Just like a parent choosing their favorite child, huh?"

Saniya's eyes fell to the application. Suddenly, she felt twenty-two again: rebellious and fighting to become independent. She picked it up and slammed it in the trash bin on the other side of the room. Saniya would pick it out again in the morning, but it was the principle that made it satisfying.

This was her life now, but that didn't mean she had to accept it right away.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! This chapter is a little shorter than my other ones at about 5,000 word instead of 6,000-7,000, but I wanted to keep the entire Hulk experience together. This whole incident would have felt weird combined with the next chapter, but it's still awesome. I hope you guys like it :)**

 **Z0mbieMart: Thank you! I'm excited for the Hulk too :D**

* * *

She was jerked from her sleep when Marsha's hand fell on her face. She was then fully awake when she realized she was on the inflatable mattress —donated by Pepper— on the other side of her room.

Marsha's and her body were smooshed together at an awkward angle. Her sister's elbow was poking her stomach and Saniya's armpit was in Marsha's face. Sometime during the night, she must've sleepwalked over there. Weird. She never got into other people's beds at night. Except for the one time she did so in Clint and Natasha's, but that didn't count.

Without shaking the mattress, she unwove herself from the blankets. Marsha whimpered, wrapping her arms around her pillow.

Saniya glanced at the clock. It was two in the morning, yet she knew she could not fall back asleep. At least, not right away. She needed time to grow tired again.

The application in the trashcan rose to the front of her mind. She hadn't even started it and Director Fury was expecting it in the morning. As much as she wanted to rebel and not give it to him till later on, Saniya didn't want to push her luck. She scooped the application out of the can and wiped off some pop tart crumbs Thor had last night.

She glanced back at Marsha before opening the door. Marsha was sprawled across the bed, fidgeting every so often. Under her breath, she was mumbling something. It was too faint for Saniya to hear. A bad night's sleep must run in the family.

Saniya cracked the door open enough to slip through. The lights in the hallway turned on automatically, courtesy of Jarvis. The AI was really starting to grow on her. If only he was human... they would be the best of friends.

"Jarvis?" she whispered to the ceiling. "Do you know where I can find a pen?"

" _Captain Rogers keeps a pen on the coffee table for his crossword puzzles. I do recommend you return it after you are done, though_."

"Thanks. Love you."

" _I appreciate your affections. Unfortunately, as an AI, I have no capability for love and cannot return the feelings_." said Jarvis, charming as usual.

The lights in the living area flipped on as she stepped into the room. It was odd being in there this late at night. Everything was so lifeless without the Avengers to fill the space.

Just as Jarvis said, there was a pen on the coffee table tucked underneath several crossword books titled 'Pop Culture' and 'The 21st Century'. For a moment, she considered going through and completing the puzzles just to see how the Captain would react. But then she remembered the effort he was making to be _not_ horrible to her and thought otherwise.

He respected her space. The least she could do was respect his.

She fell on the couch and wrote her full name in the first space of the application.

 _Saniya A Ramakrishna_

Age

 _27_

Social Security Number.

She stopped. _Nope_. She was skipping that. If SHIELD didn't already know her SSN, there was no way she would tell them. That was private information, and she wanted to keep it as such.

Saniya continued filling out mundane information about her life, such as her current residence, last employment, stuff like that. It wasn't until she was further into the application that she felt uneasy.

Do you have any confirmed assassinations or experience in this area (organized or freelance)? If so, please explain.

 _No_.

Have you ever been associated with anarchist or neo-nazi organizations? If so, please specify.

 _No_.

In numbers current to when the application was completed, what is your net worth (include accounts under aliases and cash)?

Saniya chewed on the end of the pen. _None of your business_. She huffed and tossed the application on the floor. Why would they even want to know that? It wasn't necessary for them to know how broke she was. Who did they think they were?

She turned her head and stared at the papers. One thought kept smashing around in her head: what if SHIELD already knew all this? Her social security number, her net worth, whether she killed anyone or not... they already knew all of this and were just testing her. Testing to see if she would lie.

If they already knew everything, was there any point in being truthful?

 _Okay_ , she thought, _don't overcompensate_.

Saniya went back to her social security number and wrote random digits. Then, she wrote a realistic, yet unrealistic for her, amount of money under her net worth. Slowly, she went through filling in all the wrong information.

Her hand stilled. Saniya's file was extensive (as people kept on telling her), and she was nobody important. How much would someone who was _someone_ have in their file?

Or, a better question: how much would Christopher have in his file?

The plan was to have Marsha tell her about him. That failed, obviously. But that was because the information wasn't guaranteed. SHIELD was bound to have a file on him. All she had to do was find it.

"Jarvis? Is there any way I can, say, I don't know, find someone's SHIELD file?"

The AI, who dutifully answered her every question, did not let her down. "Y _ou can petition to Director Fury and he will allow you to view certain files. Would you like for me to email him?_ "

She tapped her foot. "What about something closer to the tower? Can I view the files in the tower?"

There was a short pause. " _Dr. Banner has temporary access to the database. No other resident has legal access to the files_."

Bruce had a laptop that he was always using. It must be on there.

It felt... filthy to invade his privacy, but she wanted answers. All she had to do was find the laptop, find the SHIELD files, then find Christopher's profile. It seemed like a lot to when she put it in a list, but she was confident that she would succeed.

Leaving her application and Steve's pen behind, she crept through the hallway towards Bruce's bedroom, being extra quiet when she passed Natasha and Clint's room. Thor was snoring so loudly that she heard it from the hallway. As she snuck by her own door, she heard a loud clang of a lamp falling off the bedside table.

Saniya cracked the door just enough to see Marsha wandering around the room at a sluggish pace. Her head was rolled back and she was mouthing words. She waved the lamp in the air like the monkey and Simba in The Lion King.

"Oh, she sleepwalks too," she whispered to herself. Knowing enough to let Marsha be and deal with the mess in the morning, she shut the door and continued with her 'mission'.

She came to Bruce's doorway. Saniya mentally prepared an excuse for sneaking around his room if she was caught. _Don't overcompensate_. After a couple moments of thought, she decided to stick with the simple 'I was looking for Bruce'.

The door opened, revealing a dusty room. Barely anything was touched and had a thin layer of dust. Bruce didn't live here. Nobody did.

She shut the door behind her.

" _An authority has been notified of your trespass of Dr. Banner's room_ ," Jarvis reported.

Saniya glared at the ceiling. "Traitor."

" _I'm loyal only to my creator. My apologies_."

She swept her eyes across the room. "So, Tony was notified then?"

" _As I said, an authority_ —"

"He'll want to see this as much as I do!" She moved further into the room. "Tell him to just watch. I really don't care if he does. I need to find out some things."

Jarvis didn't reply for several seconds. " _He has agreed to observe instead of intervening. He would also like you to know that he is 'very suspicious' and 'considering about pushing you off the tower in a Spartan kick style.'_ "

The last sentence broke her away from her search. Saniya grinned. "Really?" she exclaimed with excitement. That would be so much fun. She mentally added 'getting Spartan-kicked off a building' to her bucket list.

After several minutes of searching in dusty cubbyholes and musty drawers, she realized neither Bruce nor his laptop was there.

"Where's Bruce? Specifically his laptop?"

This time, instead of Jarvis answering, it was Tony.

" _Whoa there, crazy pants. Why do you want Bruce's laptop?_ "

She held back a scream of frustration. "Oh my god, can you question me after I find what I need to find?"

There was a sharp click from the door. It was locked. " _Whose tower is this?_ "

Her head fell forward. She should have just gone back to sleep.

" _... It's mine. My tower. My rules. My safety. You should tell me what thing you're_ _hatching_ _before I ask Nat to find out for me._ "

"I'll tell you if you can keep it a secret," she pleaded. "From SHIELD."

" _Wow, you really like keeping secrets from them. Lucky for you, so do I._ "

That was a good enough answer. "I want to see Christopher O'Neill's file. He was the man who tried to kidnap me," she explained.

" _That's it?_ " Tony deadpanned. The door clicked unlocked. " _That is much more boring than I thought it would be. Bruce, more specifically his laptop, are in the new lab upstairs. But do him a favor and use one of my monitors instead. I don't want you accidentally stumbling on his secret porn stash._ "

That was a fair request, so she kept that in mind as she crept back to the living room. The elevator dinged as it opened, and she listened for anybody waking up. No doors opened or voices, so they must not have heard. As soon as she got into the elevator, it began moving. Up this time.

" _Be sure to compliment sir on his excellent renovations to the private lab,_ " Jarvis said.

" _Jarvis! Don't tell her to compliment me. Let it be free choice,_ " Tony protested. " _But seriously, compliment me on it._ "

After about ten seconds of an elevator ride, it slid open to reveal the newly renovated lab. A large window covered the entire far wall, overlooking New York. It reminded her how high up they were, and she bounced on her heels. See-through monitors hung from the ceiling above metal tables. Two desks were pushed against each other in the back. One was buried under schematics and the other neat with only a sole laptop and paintball gun.

But, when she took in the entire room, it didn't strike her as anything special. It was just... a lab.

" _I'm waiting_ ," he sung.

She bee-lined to one of the monitors. "Uh, it looks like you can do a lot of science in here."

" _Hell yeah I can. FYI, you've got less than two minutes. Bruce is taking his nightly bowel movement_."

She wrinkled her nose. Did he really have to tell her that?

She tapped the screen and it lit up with images. Whether it was Jarvis or Tony controlling the screen, it wasn't clear. A program popped up with the SHIELD logo then a search box appeared. Christopher's name was automatically typed.

 _One Moment Please - - - Retrieving Data_

 _ERROR: AUTHORIZATION NOT RECOGNIZED_

"Tony—"

" _Calm down, yeesh! Just gotta do a little magic_. _Kids are so impatient these days._ "

Screens of code ran down the screen, numbers that had meanings she could not recognize. The green numbers flashed red then disappeared.

 _Request Authorized - - - **Christopher O'Neill** \- - - Last updated at 23:15_

 **Known Associates** : _Al Qaeda, Irish Provisional Army, Hydra — seen multiple times as an arms dealer for terrorist organizations, however, it is unknown if O'Neill contributes in any other way._

 **Known Safehouses** : _Utena, Lithuania; New York, New York; Mexico City, Mexico_

 **WARNING** : _O'Neill has been seen entering the United States. Agents are on high alert, as he is armed and dangerous. The United States government has been notified.  
_ **UPDATE** : _O'Neill has been detained and passed away in custody from asphyxiation. Forensics teams searched his safehouse in New York and found several references in letters written in Hindi to a 'Saniya' and 'Aghamarshan'. Attached to the report is the file of Saniya Ramakrishna because of her accident with O'Neill, however, it is unconfirmed if he was referencing to her. Further investigation is in progress. Contact Judith Klemmer for details._

The rest was an information hurricane about his life and how he became an arms dealer —boring stuff. Saniya found what she needed to see. Christopher must had been looking for her. He had talked to her like he was, but maybe she was jumping to conclusions. There were more than one Saniya in the United States, after all.

So, she stuck to assuming that he had been looking for her for some reason. The questions of why, how he found her, and how he even knew about her still had to be answered. Those were the questions a SHIELD file couldn't easily answer.

Just as she was about to dive deeper into the file, the door to the bathroom, connected to the far end of the lab, swung open. Bruce rubbed his temples and walked towards his desk. Saniya could have sworn she heard Tony whisper that she was on her own.

To avoid the awkward 'catching someone in the act' situation, she spoke up. "Hey!"

He jumped, hand flying over his heart. His eyes widened. "You shouldn't startle me!"

She rocked on her heels. "I'll remember that. So, what are you doing up this late?"

Bruce blinked. "What are you doing up this late?"

 _Don't overcompensate_. She wracked her brain for a lie. There wasn't much reason to lie to Bruce, but she felt more secure if she did. The fewer people who knew that she was meddling in SHIELD files, the better all this would turn out for her.

"Looking for you. Jarvis said that you were the only other person awake," she lied. Her foot tapped against the tile.

He rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "Oh, I thought I set the room to the privacy setting. He should never have told anyone I was down here."

Her eyes shifted. "Weird. I know nothing about that. What are you doing?"

He seemed willing to show her what he was working on. Bruce walked over to his desk, Saniya hot on his heels. He picked up the paintball gun, pointing the barrel towards the ground. "Do you remember the paint bomb he almost threw at you?"

 _He actually threw it at me_. "Yup."

"He wants to put them on the market and I'm supposed to test how safe it is. Including the special gun he designed for it." Bruce sighed. Something told her that it wasn't out of the blue for Tony to be designing random things for him to test. "It's too overpowered, so I've been trying to find a way so it won't shoot through someone's foot, but I have a feeling that's what he was going for."

She leaned her head down to get a closer look at the gun. It was an ordinary paintball gun that apparently packed a punch. "This thing can shoot through someone's foot? It just looks like a normal paintball gun."

"Potentially. And leave a large paint mess behind."

Saniya leaned against the messy desk. "That's actually pretty cool. I'd buy that—" The desk pushed back under her weight, sliding across the slippery floor. The piles of papers and schematics scattered on the floor. A jar of pens clattered and several pieces of metal cracked the tile.

"Crap!" She immediately bent over to pick up everything she managed to push off the desk.

Then, in a moment of deep shame that Tony would tease him about for the rest of his life, Bruce watched her behind as she bent over. If he had been paying intention, instead of ogling at Saniya's pajama shorts, he would have noticed his hand curling, inadvertently squeezing the trigger.

Shortly following Saniya's outburst was Bruce's as the 'paint bomb' tore through his shoe and embedded itself deep in his foot. Almost going straight through, but not quite. A spray of green paint stained the bottom of his pants, her ankles, and the surrounding floor.

She whipped her head around. "Did... did you just shoot yourself?" she asked, concerned about the growing green color on his body. His skin was beginning to match the paint.

His breathing became quicker. "You need to leave. Now!" he yelled. Bruce grabbed his foot. He clawed at his chest, trying to slow his heart down.

Saniya flinched. "I can pick everything up really quickly, I didn't—"

"Saniya!" Bruce sounded desperate now. "Go!" He moaned and fell down to his knees. Bruce gripped his hair with white knuckles.

" _My sensors are reading high amounts of stress in your body. Sir and Captain Rogers have been notified about a potential Code Green_ ," Jarvis notified. " _Miss Ramakrishna, I would advise you to make your way to the elevator._ "

She wrinkled her nose. "What? What is happening? Bruce, are you sick or something?"

"Go for fucks sake! Before it's too late!" His voice lowered to a deep growl.

Maybe it was her imagination, but his body was swelling. In a matter of seconds, his biceps had doubled in size, turning a distinct shade of green. Instead of running to the elevator, like she knew she should, she found herself frozen with fear and amazement.

Bruce wouldn't hurt her, so there was no real danger. Right?

He turned his head to look at her. His eyes were a bright green. The features of his face looked less and less like Bruce by the second. Scratches began to appear in the tile where his fingers were pawing at the floor. It wasn't until his shirt completely popped off his large body that she stumbled back, tripping over her own feet.

The timid scientist was there no longer. In his place was a large green... creature... towering over her. This was the Hulk, the one she saw in the on the internet before the videos were taken down. She had heard about him and his role in the battle, but she never expected the Hulk to be Bruce. No one had said anything. How was she supposed to make that connection?

The Hulk roared and crumbled the gun in his fists. It was nothing more than a tiny ball that he chucked at the wall. She screamed when he lifted the desk above his head and chucked it at the elevator. The metal door caved in on itself. There was no way out now.

His green eyes snapped on her small form. There was recognition in his eyes, but not the good kind. Bruce wouldn't hurt her, but this wasn't Bruce anymore. She should have taken the elevator while she had the chance.

Hulk snarled. Saniya took that as a sign to run. Where, she didn't know. There were no side rooms and the elevator was no useable. Maybe there was a fire escape...

One large hand grabbed her around the waist before she got too far. Her feet dangled several feet off the ground and her arms were pinned underneath his meaty digits. The grip tightened until she felt something pop.

"Let me go! I'm your friend!" she pleaded.

The Hulk lifted her closer to her face. "Sani not friend! Sani hurt Hulk!" Spit flew on her face and her hair flew backwards. His free hand rose in the same way a kid's would if they were about to pop a head off a Barbie doll.

"What?" she exclaimed, her fear growing. "I didn't."

"Sani knocked little man off stool!" the Hulk explained, wanting her to know why she deserved the punishment he was about to give her. "Hulk and Sani are enemies!"

Saniya shrieked as he placed his other hand over her head. The pressure was building as he began to twist. Tears ran down her face. "That was an accident!" she wept. She struggled to free her arms. "It was an accident! I was sleepwalking."

He stopped trying to remove her head, but his grip was the same. Her face was turned so that all she could see was the window. At least she'd see something pretty before she died. "Sleepwalking?" he asked, confused.

She sniffled. "Y-Yeah. I was asleep. I couldn't control what I was doing! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

His hand slowly moved from her head. The Hulk's eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. "Sani... sorry?"

"I'm so, _so_ sorry."

The anger returned to face. "Sani tricking Hulk! Sani only sorry 'cause she doesn't want to be smashed!"

He raised her above his head and launched her towards the window. The glass shattered on impact, failing to stop her from plummeting to the city below. Even in the face of danger, she managed a small laugh at the thrill of the fall. The familiar butterflies in her stomach broke her out of her shock and she reversed time. She flew up in the air, the window rearranged itself from shards to a single pane of glass, then the Hulk was crushing her with his hand.

" _Sani... sorry?_ "

She nodded. This time, she had to be more careful. "I didn't want to hurt you. C-Can I make it up to you?"

He looked at her like she grew a second head. His hand fell to his large side. "Hulk confused." The grip around her torso loosened a fraction.

"I'm your friend and I want to make it up to you," she said with her voice shaking. "How do I make it okay?"

A sort of understanding dawned on him. How she was able to reason with him, she didn't know. Especially when the anger on his face was so strong just moments ago. "Sani's Hulk's friend? Like tin man?"

"Tin man? You mean Tony?" Hulk grunted. "Yes! I'm your friend like Tony is."

There was a loud clang from the elevator. The metal started to push itself in the shape of a fist. It was slow progress, but the door was being torn through.

The anger returned. "Hulk likes Tony. Hulk hates Sani!" He lifted her above his head again, but this time she wrapped her arms around his fingers to stop from being thrown out the window. Her body still ached from the first time.

She held on to him with all her strength. "I want to be your friend!" she shrieked. "I want you to like me! Please don't throw me out the window again! Please, please, _please_!"

Hulk blinked. "No one wants to be Hulk's friend," he said.

"I do!" she said in desperation.

He lowered her body until her face was at the same height as his. "Sani is little man's friend?" Little man had to mean Bruce.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm his friend."

"Sani want to be Hulk's friend instead?"

"Yes! You seem like a lot of fun."

That got the Hulk to smile a toothy grin.

She braced herself for another toss out the window, but it never came. Instead, he placed her feet on the ground. Once his hand was no longer around her, she crumpled to the floor. She drew her knees to her chest and watched the Hulk stare at her.

He was still. The only movement was his breathing. They stared at each other until a red suit burst through the metal door.

The Hulk tensed and stomped towards her. Saniya inched herself away, dragging herself across the floor. Tony, in his famous Iron Man suit, flew between her and Hulk, his palms up and glowing. A low hum was coming from the suit.

"Back off, buddy," Tony warned.

The Hulk growled in response, showing how fast he could flip from calm to furious.

"Cap's coming through the elevator shaft. I'll handle this guy while he gets you out of here."

She scurried to her feet. Her joints groaned at the movement, but she ran to the elevator shaft. There was a small human-sized hole, but the rest of the door was still bent inwards. There was no way an elevator would be able to come to this floor.

There was a grunt and suddenly Steve came into sight, curled around the elevator cable. He was in his pajamas with his iconic shield strapped to his back.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

She answered truthfully. "Yeah, but I think I'll be fine." She could still feel indents from his fingers and the shards of glass vibrating against her skin.

Steve held out his arms and kept his body up with his legs. His eyes examined what he could through the small hole, looking for blood or obvious injuries. "I'll carry you down."

Before she crawled through the hole, she turned back to the Hulk who was swatting at Tony. "It was nice meeting you, even if you did crush my internal organs!" She waved at him, who returned with a confused glare. Saniya pushed herself through the hole Tony made and tumbled into Steve's arms. She wrapped her body around his chest.

When he made sure she was hanging on tight, he began lowering them. "Pepper sent for a doctor to come up and check on you. SHIELD also faxed a form to assign you to a new doctor." Saniya held back a laugh. SHIELD still faxed stuff.

She tilted her head back to look far down the shaft. It was nothing but a black hole underneath them. "Why? I want Bruce to be my doctor."

Steve paused in his movements. He looked a lot like Hulk did when she asked to make up her mistake to him. "But... aren't you... you know... terrified of him?"

She loosened her grip of her arms, causing him to use one arm to hold her to him. Saniya winced as he brushed against one of the forming bruises. "No," she said slowly. "Why would I be?"

"Are you telling me that you aren't the slightest bit scared of him?" Steve shook his head with disbelief.

"I'm not scared of Bruce," she explained. "Sure, I'm now very scared of the Hulk, just not Bruce. You know, all this could have been avoided if someone had told me that he was the Hulk. Here I was assuming that the Hulk you've been telling me about was actually that size all the time and hanging out on a remote island or something. It would have been nice if I had known it was him." Saniya looked upwards. "Why didn't you just bring the elevator up to the floor above below us instead of climbing all the way back?"

Steve's jaw tensed. He continued to pull them down. "Stark's the one who suggested I climb all the way."

Both Steve and Saniya were relieved to see the open doors of their floor. The super soldier helped her out of the elevator shaft and hopped out after her. Marsha was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands, but nobody else was up. Jarvis really did only tell Tony and Steve.

"I'm going back to bed," he mumbled. Steve slipped off his shield and twirled it in his hand.

"Thank you for getting me out of there."

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "You're welcome, ma'am." He disappeared into the hallway.

Considering what just happened, maybe he should have paid more attention to her. She felt like it was irresponsible to leave an injured person alone.

Saniya turned to the still-sleeping Marsha. She was muttering something about how her side hurts. If anyone else had passed by, they would have thought she was awake, but her eyes were still closed. Her movements were sluggish. Marsha was definitely asleep.

She urged Marsha to her feet. Sleeping Marsha didn't protest and limply followed her requests. Jarvis lit the hallway as she zombie-walked behind Saniya. He electronically opened their door and shut it behind them. Saniya smiled up at the ceiling as her thanks.

Marsha didn't lie down in her bed, but at least she sat on it. Saniya laid in her own, laying on her back to avoid irritating the possible bruises on her sides.

She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. It was impossible with the adrenaline rushing through her veins and thoughts pounding against her skull. Too much happened in such a short time for her to be able to relax.

Saniya hoped talking to Bruce tomorrow would calm her down. For now, she'd have to settle with drowning in her own head.


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! Here's another update for you! Throughout my story I have been getting fantastic support, which is great! But I have been noticing that there aren't many reviews, like last update there was none. The only way I know if I'm doing something wrong or right is if I get feedback, so it would be awesome if you want to to leave a review :) I'll never be the type of author who says I need this many reviews if you want an update, but I would appreciate a little more feedback if possible.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy this chapter**

 **++++TRIGGER WARNING ++++**

 **In the last bit of the chapter two people experience a panic attack. If this will trigger anything for you, PLEASE DON'T READ IT. At the end of the chapter, I will have a summary of what is learned in that part for those who skip it. Also, I have never experienced a panic attack myself and wrote off of my research. If in any way I portrayed it wrong, please pm me and I can fix it.**

* * *

Bruce stared at the hole in the floor, along with the other parts of the ruined lab. No part of the room was spared from the Hulk's tantrum. It was completely destroyed; all of Tony's renovations gone to waste.

Once again, he managed to ruin everything.

Everything was still a blur, but he recalled bits of Saniya crying and Tony being chased by the Hulk. He specifically remembered the feeling of Saniya wedged in his palm and the thoughts of how easy it would be for him to crush her. She was so fragile; it would have been so easy to reduce her to nothing but pieces.

Bruce shuddered. When he woke up, he knew he came close to killing her. Too close. But when he saw the security footage of the whole event, the Hulk's actions —his actions— seemed much more real. Saniya was practically begging for her life. Thankfully he actually listened, but he couldn't shake her tears from his conscience. It was one more thing to feel shame and guilt for.

He pried a piece of Tony's suit out from the plaster of the crumbling wall. There was an indent in the shape of the suit, and that wasn't the only one. Bruce came close to seriously hurting Tony as well. His suit wasn't made for Hulk-like attacks, so he was greatly outmatched. The billionaire was idiotic for trying to fight him. He should have just let the Hulk be.

Everyone should leave the Hulk alone. He was too dangerous to be around others. But leaving the Hulk alone in turn meant leaving Bruce alone. He clenched his fist. Maybe that would be for the best.

" _Saniya's been asking about you_."

Bruce sighed and ducked his head. His shoulders slumped. "Tell her I'm sorry. I would tell her myself, but I don't think she'd want to see me."

Tony sighed over the intercom. " _And they call me a drama queen. You'd be wrong there, big guy. She's refusing to see any sort of doctor unless they're you_."

He opened and closed his hand. All he could see was the Hulk's large hands clutching her small torso. Bruce squeezed his eyes shut. "Is she hurt?" he asked.

" _Nope. Not at all. She just needs a basic examination to make sure she's not internally bleeding or anything like that. Think you can handle that?_ " Bruce didn't answer. " _I'll even stay there the whole time. You know, as comic relief_."

"I don't think this is a good idea."

" _You're overthinking this_."

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "I nearly killed her. It's best if she doesn't see me."

" _To be honest, I don't think she would care if death himself spat on her face last night. She wants to see you_."

Bruce doubted that. How could someone possibly want to see the person who nearly brought them to their early grave? It didn't make sense to him, and he didn't think it ever would.

" _It'll be ten minutes, tops. You don't even have to talk to her. We're in the same lab as before_." Bruce made no move towards the elevator. " _Hey, and just so you know, nobody's mad. Especially not me. I know you were worried about that the most considering that you did destroy several months of work_."

Bruce winced. Tony meant well, but sometimes he said the worst possible things.

There was a dull ache in his chest. No matter how much it hurt him, he had to see the damage for himself. He had to at least try to fix all the pain he had caused.

Plus, if Bruce was anything other than the Hulk, he was a doctor. It was one of the few labels he had that he was proud to call his own. And as a doctor, it was his duty to help the sick and the injured, no matter how much he dreaded it.

* * *

Thor gave Marsha a huge grin, who returned it with a shy smile. He placed an arm over Saniya's shoulder, nearly crushing her under his huge muscles. "I see the resemblance between you two. It is uncanny."

Tony, who was repairing his suit with a small electrical tool, lifted his head from his work. "Duh. They have the same face." He cautiously regarded Marsha before returning to the arm piece.

Thor rocked Saniya back in forth in a comforting motion. She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on his actions. "I hope one day you have a bond as great as my brother and I's." His eyebrows drew together. "Before he began his quest to rule and became unwell," Thor corrected.

He leaned too far to the left and she winced. Marsha's eyes widened. "Does it hurt? You know, where it grabbed you?" she asked, quiet enough for Tony not to hear her voice.

Saniya shook her head. "Nope. There's not even a bruise." _Lies. All lies_.

Marsha believed her. She curled into a ball and chewed on an apple Saniya stole from the kitchen. Thor frowned, gaze falling to her side. He wasn't as easy to convince.

"Bruce is going to look at it," she whispered to him. "Don't worry about it."

His hand tightened around her shoulder. "Are you sure about this, Lady Saniya? I do not wish for you to be frightened. I've bandaged my fair share of battle wounds and may be able to help."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not scared of Bruce," she repeated for the fifth time today.

Thor nodded. "But what of the Hulk?"

Flashes of him crushing her body and throwing her through the window buzzed through her mind. The look of anger on his face was so intense. It still frightened her to think about. The Hulk was like nothing she had ever seen.

She shrugged. "Honestly? I'm more than a little scared of the Hulk. Bruce is harmless, though."

The Asgardian looked at her with something that was strangely close to sympathy. "The longer I have known the doctor, the more I've come to realize that the Hulk and him are two sides of the same person. They are not separate entities."

Before she could reply, she was drawn to the opening elevator. Bruce looked horrible. There were dark bags under his eyes and he was dressed as if he threw on the first clothes he saw on his bedroom floor. His shoulders were hunched and his eyes skipped around the lab like a nervous deer.

Thor glanced between her and the scientist, trying to tell her something with his eyes. She gave him an odd look, not getting the message. He slipped off the examination table, bringing Marsha with him to show her the tablet Tony gave him. The Asgardian made sure to stay close enough in case he needed to intervene. It was a sweet but unnecessary gesture.

Bruce refused to look at her as he trudged closer.

"Hey, Bruce," she greeted.

He bobbed his head in return.

Her foot tapped on the leg of the table. "Are you okay?"

Bruce frowned and let out a dry laugh. "I should be the one asking you that question." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Where did he hurt you?" Bruce scanned her body for injuries, still refusing to look at her face.

Saniya gestured to her rib cage. "Just around this area."

He hovered by her side. Bruce gestured an upwards motion with his hands. "Can you... lift your shirt please, unless you want to go somewhere with more privacy?"

"Here's fine." She watched his facial expression. "It's a little bad, just a warning." Bruce gulped.

She slowly lifted the side of her shirt, revealing a long string of bruises in the shape of large fingers. They were a dark purple and ran along her entire ribcage. Saniya angled her body so Marsha was completely blocked off, not that it mattered. Thor was doing a good job of distracting her.

Bruce's expression fell. The blood ran from his face. "Does it hurt to breathe?"

"Not really. It only hurts when I move my upper body," she replied.

His blinked rapidly. The expression on his face was the closest to devastation. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that Bruce was close to crying.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't... I'm sorry," he tried to say but failed.

Saniya became confused. Did Bruce actually feel bad about everything that happened? She didn't understand the entire situation, but from what she could tell, Bruce didn't have any control over the Hulk. If he had no control, then that meant it wasn't his fault. He shouldn't feel sorry for hurting her. She wasn't blaming him.

But there he was, moments away from shattering the stereotype that men couldn't express emotion. As much as she loved breaking stereotypes, she didn't want to see him cry. He was too good of a person to feel bad about this situation. Especially when he didn't hurt her on purpose.

So, she did the only thing she could think of in the moment: she hugged him.

He was as rigid as a board and tried to back away. Saniya didn't let go, even when his torso bothered the bruises on her ribs.

"You don't have to hug me back," she told him, "but you can't stop me from hugging you."

And that's how they stayed for a full minute, Saniya clinging to an awkward man for an awkward amount of time. He never moved his arms from his side. Tony looked up from his work and gave her a thumbs up. Apparently she was doing something right. Since Bruce didn't make any other attempts to escape from her arms, she deemed the hug a success.

She pulled away, but still clasped onto his shoulders to keep him from running away. "We're friends, right?"

He blinked, dazed from her embrace. "If you want to be friends with me, then yes, I suppose so."

Saniya smiled. Bruce looked at her like he was just hit hard on the head and was moments away from unconsciousness. "Awesome. So, what's the diagnosis? Are my ribs broken or am I fine?"

She lifted up her shirt again. He fixed his glasses and leaned down to have a closer look. Bruce reached his hand forward, then stopped. "May I?"

"Go ahead."

With a shaky palm, he gently pressed the pads of his fingers to the skin around one of the bruises below her bra. He lightly pressed down. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

Saniya scrunched her face when he prodded one of the bruises. He removed his hand like her skin burned him. "Did that one hurt?"

Her shirt dropped back down. "A lot, yeah," she gritted. The place that he touched hummed with pain.

He rubbed his hands together. "I wouldn't say their broken, but I can't know for sure without an x-ray. I doubt they're even bruised. Either way, ribs tend to heal by themselves after a few weeks. The most I can do is give you some pain medication." His eyes watched her carefully.

She pursed her lips. "Maybe something to help me sleep. I can manage through the day. Pain is good for the soul, after all."

Something akin to a smile rose on his face but fell immediately. "I would have to disagree with you on that. Do you need anything else?" he asked.

Saniya rocked her feet back and forth above the ground. "You're still going to be my doctor, right?" His eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think I can handle one of the SHIELD doctors."

Bruce shifted in his spot. His eyes looked everywhere but at her. "Tony has a lot of contacts. I'm sure he can find you a different doctor who isn't affiliated with SHIELD."

Her jaw slackened. "Is this your way of telling me to get lost?" He looked up in surprise. "I like you, Bruce. I think you're a super nice guy. If you don't want to be my doctor anymore, fine. But if my opinion means anything, I still want you to be."

His shoulders sank. That was when she finally noticed that Bruce was far past devastated. He was plain defeated. "It's not a good idea for anyone to be around me."

She tapped his leg with her shoe. "Who cares if it's not a good idea?" Bruce tilted his head. "As long as people want you here with them, that should be enough."

Bruce pressed his lips together with a weird expression on his face. He shook his head. "You have an interesting perspective." Saniya smiled. That had to be some sort of compliment. Bruce cleared his throat and moved out of her reach. "I'll have someone send you some pain medication before you go to bed."

"Thanks," she chirped.

He held her gaze for a second too long and her heart fluttered. Bruce mumbled a goodbye then left. As he walked to the elevator, Saniya found herself staring after him.

She tried to figure out how a man like Bruce could hide the Hulk inside of him. There seemed to be room to put a rage monster among his mild-mannered personality. Maybe Thor was right. The Hulk and Bruce weren't two different people and instead two sides of one person.

It confused her to think about, but on a deeper level, it... sort of turned her on. That was sort of embarrassing to admit to herself, but it was true. She had always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. As long as she controlled the situation to some degree, she'd willingly throw herself in front of a car if it meant she'd get a few seconds of fun. And now that she was almost sure that if she saw the Hulk again, he wouldn't pummel her into dust immediately, she was looking forward to their next interaction.

Of course, she was still shaken from their last encounter, but one of the greatest thrills of life was overcoming fear. Her blood buzzed with excitement the longer she thought about it.

And even freakier to her than her weird fetish —if one could call it that—, she felt the beginnings of a crush stitching itself together. She knew it was only be a matter of days before she'd throw herself all over Bruce.

If anyone asked her what made her think of Bruce as anything other than a friend, she would say it was the Hulk, oddly enough. To be honest, she wouldn't have thought much of the scientist romantically if there wasn't a part of him that excited her. But now that she knew that there was a sliver of him that made her blood rush faster (albeit due to fear), she was prepared to hold on tight.

* * *

She stretched out on the couch, Thor sitting by her legs and staring with wonder at the television. The local news was showing a video of a dog park that was just built outside of the city. Dogs ranging from Great Danes to Chihuahuas pranced across the television.

"Look, Lady Saniya! That beast must be smaller than my hand," Thor pointed.

Her eyebrows raised. Even by 'Midgardian' standards, that was one tiny dog. "I didn't know dogs came in that size."

The news anchors returned to the screen.

" _Now wasn't that adorable, Richard? It is free of charge for all residents. The city just asks people to have their dogs vaccinated and to keep a close eye on their animals. This new dog park is sure to make many animal-lovers happy_."

" _Right you are. On a less cheerful note, there has been a tragic event in Lithuania that has garnered attention from all over the world. Seventeen people, including six children, have been found brutally murdered in an abandoned barn. More on this story is Janice Vernon outside the crime scene_."

Saniya groaned and reached for the remote. "Too depressing. I bet I can find something on Animal Planet with dogs."

Thor's face brightened. "I would very much enjoy seeing this planet of animals." Marsha, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, silently nodded in agreement.

Just as she flipped the channel, her phone began to ring. Saniya looked at the caller ID. Dorie was calling.

A part of her felt guilty for completely forgetting about her, but there was really no reason to think of her ex-coworker. She just didn't come up. But now that she was calling, Saniya was happy to hear from her.

She pressed the phone to her ear as Thor was hypnotized by a documentary about the evolution of wolves to house pets. "Took you long enough to call," she joked.

" _Not my fault. I'm super busy. Just calling to let you know that I'm not dead. SHIELD hasn't murdered me for being useless yet_."

Saniya propped herself up. Her nose wrinkled as her ribs ached in response. "Yet?"

" _They're sort of asking for the impossible from me_ ," Dorie explained. She sighed. " _Agent Klemmer is going insane. She keeps saying that you almost killed her with some gas and that you're Hydra and will come for us all. I'm pretty sure she officially went off the deep end_."

She rolled her eyes. "It was nonlethal. She wasn't even close to dying."

Dorie stayed silent for several seconds. " _What? Don't tell me you actually beat her up?_ "

"I didn't beat her up," Saniya protested. "I just sprayed her in the face with something that made her go unconscious. Natasha gave it to me."

" _Whoever Natasha is, I freaking hate her for making her crazier than usual. Agent Klemmer's been bugging me constantly about you. She won't leave me alone_."

That got her attention. "She hasn't threatened you, right?" Dorie remained quiet. "Dorie Hughes, so help me—"

" _Get off my case! She's visiting a therapist, so it doesn't really matter, does it?_ " Dorie snapped. Instead of being thoughtful and asking what was making her so edgy, Saniya went into defense mode. Which, in retrospect, was not the best response.

Marsha jumped as Saniya replied harshly into the phone. "Of course it matters! If someone is threatening you, you don't sit there and take it. Tell someone who can get her fired!"

" _I'm not rocking the boat, so shut up about it!_ "

She rolled her eyes. "No way—"

" _Let it go otherwise I'm hanging up on you._ "

Saniya bit her tongue from saying something she would regret. "Fine. I'll let it go," she gritted through her teeth. "What are you working on?"

Dorie sighed. " _I can't tell you—_ "

"Technically I'm SHIELD now. That Director Fury guy just blackmailed me to work for you guys."

"What?" she gasped. " _Congratulations!_ " The worst part was that Dorie was completely serious. " _Wait, why?_ "

While she could explain to Dorie all about her abilities, did she really want to do that over a phone that Tony pulled a listening device out of? And there was the more important question of if she even wanted to tell Dorie.

There was one thing she was sure of, though: she couldn't speak about it over a phone.

"Can't talk about it now," she rushed out. "I'll tell you later."

" _Why can't you talk about it now?_ "

She curled her toes into the carpet. "You know why. SHIELD might be listening in."

There was the sound of a mug smacking down on a table. " _I'm sort of sick of this attitude you have about SHIELD. They're helping people._ "

"They haven't been helping me," Saniya tried and failed to keep back a scathing tone. Thor finally looked away from the television, his face creased with worry. "All SHIELD has done is hurt me, so excuse me if I don't easily trust them."

" _You're so... annoying! There, I've said it! This whole thing you have against SHIELD is just you making excuses to hate them!_ "

Saniya scoffed. Thor placed a hand on her shoulder, but it did nothing to calm her down. "They're valid excuses!"

" _I don't think they are_ ," Dorie said with a stiff tone. " _I can sort of understanding not liking them at first, but now it's getting ridiculous!_ "

Marsha's eyes widened as Saniya sputtered a swear word into the phone. "All they've done is hurt me and others! I cannot believe that you can't see that!"

" _I do see that, but nothing is black and white, Sani,_ " Dorie growled back. " _SHIELD does more good than bad._ "

"Bull—"

" _I can't talk about this with you. You never listen. Just don't... don't call me,_ " Dorie said.

Now was the point in the argument where she knew she was right but felt completely guilty. Saniya let out a long breath. She let the argument get out of hand, and now she offended one of the few people on her side. Maybe this was one of those times it would have been better to stay quiet.

She clutched the phone tighter in her hand. "Dorie, I didn't mean—"

" _Goodbye. I'll call you next week_ ," was Dorie's indignant reply. Then she hung up.

She groaned into her hands. "Why can't we just have a civil discussion about SHIELD for once?" Thor patted her on the head in the same way as the dog trainer on the tv just did to a black lab.

Marsha tugged the blanket higher on her body. "How long have you two been friends?"

She bit her lip. 'Friends' was never the word Dorie and Saniya used to describe their relationship, but they had a sort of bond that couldn't be ignored. "Almost five years, ever since we were both hired to work at the restaurant."

"New York's Best," Thor proudly proclaimed. His lips curled into a pout. "I miss dining there."

Saniya smirked. _I don't_ , she thought to herself. It was a bad restaurant with poor hygiene standards, but she wasn't about to break Thor's happy thoughts about the place. She did have a heart, after all.

"Well," Marsha started, "if you have been friends for so long, a small argument won't change that." _More like two large arguments_. "You'll be able to talk it out."

She sounded so hopeful. Marsha was a lot like Thor in that way. They both were so innocent and optimistic. Saniya envied that part of them as she wasn't so hopeful about the turn Dorie and hers 'friendship' were going.

Marsha hid a yawn behind her hand. Saniya poked her with her socked foot. "Go on. Get to bed, sleepyhead."

She murmured a quiet goodnight before heading back to their room.

Thor watched her with a careful expression. "Ugh, I really don't want to talk about it. It'd be better to forget it even happened. Can you turn up the volume?" Saniya asked.

Though he looked like he wanted to talk about it more, the dogs won his attention. He roared with laughter as one of the dogs licked the camera. In all honesty, Saniya didn't find it that funny, but found herself giggling with Thor.

Thor always made it easier to laugh.

She laid down so her feet were draped over Thor's legs. Saniya rested her head on the couch cushion, blocking out the thoughts of whose butt was there last.

"How much longer of these amusing videos?" Thor asked.

"It's a marathon. It'll last all night," she told him after a yawn.

Saniya stayed up with Thor for another hour before she passed out on the couch. At two in the morning, he woke her up after laughing at a golden retriever dressed in a tutu. After grumbling her dissatisfaction, she fell back asleep.

Sometime during the night, Thor placed a blanket over her. Shortly after, the blanket was unintentionally draped across the kitchen sink and Saniya had sleepwalked back to her bed. Marsha, who also had a fitful night of sleepwalking, ended up at the foot of Saniya's bed.

Saniya winced in pain when she woke up from a sharp poke. Marsha's bony knee jutted into Saniya's back and her arm was pinned under Marsha's back. Great. They ended up as a human pretzel again.

Her eyes began to focus on a purple fabric hovering over her. She blinked several times until Agent Musa's face became clear. Her face was emotionless and she was dressed in all black. The only color on her was the purple of her hijab and a silver SHIELD pin.

"Good morning, Ramakrishna," Agent Musa greeted in a monotone voice.

Saniya rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing in my room?" She glanced at her surroundings to make sure she was actually in her room.

Agent Musa lifted her chin. "From now on, every morning you will wake up at seven o'clock. Put on clothes you are not afraid to be sweaty in." Before she could respond, Agent Musa left the room.

A jolt of rebellion rushed through her. There was no way she would be bossed around this early in the morning by a complete stranger. Agent Musa would have to wait fifteen more minutes before Saniya could even process orders. Her brain needed the time to rest. So, following that train of thought, she closed her eyes.

That was, until Agent Musa literally dragged her from bed.

"I'm up!" she yelped as her body thumped to the floor. Marsha, a lot like Thor in another way, continued to sleep.

The corners of her lips twitched into what could be described as an 'almost smile'. "Do I need to repeat myself? Every morning you will wake up at seven o'clock. The easiest way to gain perfect self-control is to start with basic bodily functions." The agent ruffled through her drawers and threw her a sports bra and the first tank top and shorts she saw. "You're wearing this."

Saniya looked between the clothes on the floor and Agent Musa. "I can dress myself."

"I know. But every action has its consequences. For not waking up immediately, you lose your freedom of choice."

She raised an eyebrow, which Agent Musa met with the same expression. "Holy crap, you're serious." Saniya picked up her clothes. "Okay, I'll go along with this just this once, but only because I'm too tired to do anything else." She jabbed her finger.

Agent Musa nodded, her face now void of emotion. "Be out in two minutes." With that, she finally left Saniya to change in peace.

Saniya reluctantly pulled her clothes over her body. This must be when she would start her training. No longer could she block out the ever looming dark cloud that was SHIELD as it would now be constantly shoved in her face.

At least she was one step closer to getting out of this stupid tower.

Okay, so the tower wasn't stupid, she had to admit. It was actually quite amazing, but she wanted freedom.

She kept glancing at the door, half expecting Agent Musa to barge in claiming she took too long to change. Some part of her wanted to see if that would happen, but Saniya was still too dazed from her hours of sleep to function completely as her stubborn self.

Saniya left her room, closing the door softly behind her. She froze when she reached the entryway of the kitchen.

Agent Musa plopped several eggs straight from the pan into a blender, along with several pieces of Bruce's tofu bacon, a slice of buttered toast, and apple slices. Clint looked particularly thrilled to press the 'on' button. The strange mixture of foods swirled into a disgusting sludge of chunks.

He waved. "Morning," Clint yelled over the blender. It flipped off and Agent Musa poured a glass. The... breakfast smoothie... crawled at a snail's pace into the glass. Clint pointed to the disgusting concoction. "This is your breakfast."

"Nope. That is not going to happen." She shook her head.

Agent Musa gave her a disapproving look. "Do you remember the last page of your employee application?"

Ah yes, the employee application she sent in several hours after the Hulk fiasco, the one she spent two hours reading through. Saniya felt like banging her head in the counter. There was one particular line that stuck out to her. _During training, all orders given by your supervising officer must be completed if they do not interfere with previously established moral obligations_.

Stupid Saniya. She should never have signed that document.

"The first step to self-control is to manage your bodily function," Agent Musa explained. "In this case, you must control your gag reflex."

She folded her arms. "This is just so you can have a good laugh. How does this relate to training in any way?"

Clint hid a snicker when Agent Musa sent him a Natasha-worthy glare.

"There is no gain without suffering."

Saniya stomped her way over to the glass, making sure they knew exactly how unhappy she was about this. "There is literally nothing I can gain from this experience," she grumbled.

Clint shrugged. "Eh, I don't know. At least after Agent Musa's done with you, you'll be able to eat literally anything." Both women glared at him. "Goodness, agent, I'm complimenting your training style."

Agent Musa looked stuck between pride and disdain. "My training style is much more than being able to eat gross food." She forced the glass up to Saniya's lips. "Drink."

It couldn't taste that bad, so she saw no harm in drinking the weird mix of food. It was a typical breakfast, just in a different form than she was used to.

The second it touched her tongue, she gagged. She would have stopped right away if she didn't see Clint looking at her like he expected her to quit and make a fuss out of this. Sure, she was seconds away from doing just that, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction. Saniya plugged her nose and chugged the rest in record time.

She slammed the cup. "What else you got?" Saniya wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Agent Musa reached in the fridge and took out one of Pepper's fancy yogurts she left behind from the move. She gave it to Saniya, who immediately began eating it. It was much better than what she just had.

"Once a week I will be in charge of your training and will give Agent Barton a strict schedule to keep to. At the end of each day, he will report to me about your progress," Agent Musa told her. Clint nodded, oddly serious for once. "Until Dr. Banner gives the okay, we will only work on lower body strength."

Saniya licked the last of the yogurt off the end of the spoon. "And how long will this training last? Two weeks?"

Agent Musa let loose a rough 'ha'. "Two years at the least." She curled her pointer finger as a sign for them to follow her. With a posture and grace that put even Natasha to shame, Agent Musa waited in the elevator.

She hopped into the elevator with Clint by her side. "I am not going to train for two years." Saniya's lips curled into a frown. "I am not living in this tower for two years!"

Clint leaned against the side of the elevator. "It's not constant training for two years," he explained. "It gets less busy as time goes on. Nah, I think you'll only be here for maybe one... two more months until they give you a trial run."

Just as she was about to ask what her trial run would be, Agent Musa interrupted her. "Don't worry about that now. Only focus on today." The agent looked at her from the corner of her eye.

The doors slid open to reveal a large gym, complete with a boxing ring and an assortment of gym equipment. A large boxing bag was in the corner with spare bags stacked next to it. One treadmill was connected to a clear screen, the same one as in the labs. And, like every gym she had ever went to, it reeked of sweat.

Clint wrinkled his nose, but played it off by itching his nose. "Congrats. Stark gave you access to the gym. Keep this up and you'll have unlimited access to anywhere in the tower," he teased.

Saniya didn't hide her distaste. Not even a half hour after she woke up and she was being forced to work out? She couldn't even bother to find the strength to pretend to not be annoyed.

"It smells awful in here," she muttered. "I don't think I want access to this floor."

Agent Musa clapped her hands. "Welcome to your first day of hell."

* * *

"This is the WORST!"

For the third time since she stepped on the treadmill, Agent Musa made it go faster. Her legs were nearly swept out from under her.

"Complaining only makes it go faster," Agent Musa warned for not the first time.

Clint observed with his arms crossed. "In case you didn't catch on, this is how much of your training with her will go: if you do something she doesn't like, she'll make up some sort of punishment."

Saniya gulped for air. She wondered if she would be able to hop off the equipment without Agent Musa murdering her as 'punishment'.

Clint faltered. "Heya, Musa, I know you like to push people to their breaking points then punish them for breaking in the first place, but don't you think we should give her a break? She's about to drop dead."

Thankfully, the agent agreed with him. She glanced at her watch. "Ten more seconds. Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one…" She pressed a button and the treadmill gradually grew slower. "Walk until your heart rate goes back down."

Saniya rolled her head back in pain but did as she was told. Exercise had a way of beating out the stubbornness in people. "Water... I... need... a lot... of water."

Clint raised a water bottle to her lips. The sweet release of the liquid soothed her burning throat.

She bent her head. "Just pour it on me. I don't even care anymore."

He did as she said. The water soaked into her hair and shirt, but oh did it feel so good. "Huh, not much of a difference from before," Clint remarked about her sweaty locks. All she could muster was an angry stare.

After several long minutes of forcing her legs to move in a slow walk, she finally felt like she was back to normal. Her lungs didn't feel like they were in the middle of a forest fire, for one. The numbers, indicating her heart rate on the screen next to them, grew lower and lower to a steady resting heart beat.

Steve walked into the gym with a towel hanging off of his shoulder. He gave the three a courteous nod before heading to his own space by the punching bags. Her heart rate jumped a little as she watched Steve strip off his shirt, revealing toned muscles that should be _illegal_.

Clint rolled his eyes while Agent Musa blinked rapidly. When she saw Saniya was staring too, she gave her what seemed to be a friendly smile. The two women did their best not to look over as Steve thumped the punching bag.

Saniya bit her tongue. God, he was so hot, even if he was a bit stuck up to her.

Then it hit her so hard that she nearly tripped.

"What happened to Steve's cast? I could have sworn he still had it on," she asked.

Clint raised an eyebrow. "He got it off yesterday while you were talking with Fury."

Agent Musa, filling out a calendar of training exercises, didn't stop writing as she asked her question. "Ramakrishna, did you honestly not notice? I was told he carried you down an elevator shaft. That's something you can't exactly do with a cast on." She struck her pen on the front of the treadmill. "You can stop now and begin stretching your legs. Same routine as the beginning of the session."

Saniya did as she was told. She flopped to the ground and reached for her toes. "I wasn't thinking about it, so no, I didn't notice."

Agent Musa hummed with displeasure. "Agent Romanoff did mention this in her report," she murmured.

Her eyebrows drew together. "What? That I don't look at Steve's arms often?"

"No. That you're hopelessly unobservant." Agent Musa glanced at the calendar and made some last minute changes. "Agent Barton, it's now your job to change that."

Clint took the calendar for the month of September, glancing over it briefly. "Aye aye."

Agent Musa nodded. "I'll see you next week." She gave Clint a stern look. "I expect you to follow my schedule. If you make any changes, contact me first." Before he could respond, Agent Musa turned around and was heading towards the elevator. Within seconds, she was gone. Saniya wasn't the only person she did the disappearing act to.

She stood, now that the coast was clear. "Huh. I'm not sure if I like her or not."

Clint tossed her a protein bar. The wrapper was off in a matter of milliseconds. "I get that. Everyone loves a strong, independent woman. She's just a little... callous with her approach to training." He stuffed his own granola bar in his mouth even though all he did was stand there. "But you know, she's one hell of a trainer. The best around," he said between bites.

She finished chewing. "Fury said that normally the people who make the referral are the ones who train that person. Why isn't Natasha training me, then?" Saniya clenched and unclenched her hand. Her fingers were tingling for some reason.

Clint dramatically glanced over his shoulder. "I'll let you in on a secret: Nat isn't perfect."

"No way," she deadpanned.

He shook his head. "She's one of the most impatient people on this planet. No way would she be able to teach someone with zero experience in self-defense or espionage. She'd kill you." The last sentence was said so seriously, that she didn't doubt it until Clint chuckled. "Just kidding. She wouldn't kill you, just maybe strangle you a little. Nothing serious."

Her heart began to beat slightly faster and it felt like there was a weight on her chest. Saniya coughed, trying to make the feeling go away. "Then I'm glad I have you and Agent Musa instead." Saniya fanned herself with a sweaty hand. "Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

 **(A/N Potential trigger warning from this point to the end of the story. Summary is in an author's note in the bottom)**

Clint frowned. "You don't look so good, kid."

"I don't," she gulped in a large mouthful of air. "feel... good..." Saniya struggled to fill her lungs, resulting in short, gasps. Her skin prickled with chills, as if she was utterly terrified. "I... can't... breathe," she rasped.

"Whoa!"

Her legs were giving out from under her so Clint helped lower her to the ground. She tried to move her body, but it wasn't cooperating. Every time she tried to speak, her breath was stolen from her chest. All she could do was hide her face in her shuddering legs. She barely registered that Steve ran over and was speaking to Clint.

All she understood was the word _Bruce_.

"B-Bruce," she stuttered. God, her heart was beating so fast that it was sure to burst from her chest.

" _Doctor Banner has been notified_ ," Jarvis said. " _He has advised you to try and control your breathing_."

Saniya balled herself into a tighter ball. That was easier said than done. Steve did his part of calming her down by telling her over and over that everything was okay. Unfortunately, it didn't stop her body from freaking out.

Clint said something about a panic attack. She frowned. This couldn't be a panic attack. It couldn't be. Saniya wasn't in a panic. Well, now she kind of was since her body was out of her control, but there wasn't the distinctive fear she imagined that came along with panic attacks. There was a feeling in the back of her brain that felt like raw terror, but it was foreign. Like it wasn't even her emotion. Something other than her was making her body act this way.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly when she heard Bruce's voice. Saniya forced herself to meet his brown eyes.

His hands rested on her arms. The warmth from his body calmed the muscles in her biceps. "You're okay, you're going to be okay. Try to match my breathing, alright?"

She shuddered a nod. Her breathing needed to slow down; she had to control her breathing. Without much thought, she hurled herself in his arms and pressed her head against his chest. Bruce awkwardly patted her back as she hugged his waist. Saniya nearly cried as she buried her face into his shirt.

Her body was shaking so much. Was she having a seizure? What was wrong with her? They kept saying 'panic attack' over and over, but that wasn't true. It couldn't be. She'd never had one before, so why she have one now?

" _Dr. Banner, I am aware that this is poor timing, but Ms. Elliot seems to also be suffering through a panic attack and is in need of assistance_ ," Jarvis said.

Marsha. For the first time since this began, her heart slowed down a beat. _Marsha_.

Somehow, she knew Marsha was the answer to her condition. It made perfect sense to Saniya, but she knew that if she tried explaining it to someone else, it would be utter nonsense. It explained everything, though. The feeling of fear in the back of her mind wasn't her emotion, so there was only one reason that this could be happening. Plus, it was too much of a coincidence to ignore.

Marsha was the one causing her panic attack. And at that revelation, the connection between Marsha and Saniya separated just enough for her body to calm down.

She struggled to keep her feet under her. "Marsha... I need..." The words still were struggling to get out.

Bruce helped her stay upright. The space between his eyebrows creased. "Marsha will be okay. She isn't alone up there."

Saniya shook her head. _He didn't understand_. "Marsha... now..." She forced her breathing to match his. Although it wasn't close to his slow breaths, it was better than before. The weight on her chest lifted slightly. "I need... to help... her," she hiccuped. It won't stop unless she helped her.

With her nails were still digging into Bruce's purple shirt, she dragged Bruce towards the elevator with her. The scientist steadied her on her wobbly legs, looking very unsure. Clint and Steve stared, uncertain of what they could do to help.

"Maybe you should sit down," he suggested. "You can't help Marsha if you don't help yourself."

Her breathing was back down to as if she just finished a light jog, but a light hum in her mind told her to breathe faster. She was supposed to match Marsha, not Bruce, but she refused to go back to the panicked state she just took herself out of.

"I'm fine... really," she said.

His eyes widened. She pressed the up button and the doors slid open. "You're really not, Saniya. You just had a panic attack— you're _having_ a panic attack."

"Jarvis... take me to... Marsha." Saniya pressed her head back to his chest, focusing on the slow in's and out's. Focus on Bruce. Just focus on him. "She's the one... causing this. It won't stop... unless I help her."

The trembling in her hand calmed to a small twitch. She wasn't the one scared; she wasn't the one having a panic attack. Her body was just copying Marsha. Saniya repeated this in her mind until she was sure without a shadow of a doubt that her body was reacting to Marsha's feelings, not her own.

"It's—"

"I know what I'm talking about," she said between a long inhale. "Trust me on this."

The elevator opened. Next to the large window was Marsha staring up at the sky in horror. Her short breaths were louder than Thor's calm words and she was oblivious to Natasha's reassuring pats on the back.

Saniya stumbled to her, Bruce holding her up as best as he could. She dropped to the ground next to her sister and engulfed Marsha in a hug. Marsha shook in her arms, muttering something about the sky.

Bruce's mouth fell open. "Oh my god, what is that?" She followed his gaze to the sun. It was slowly turning green and morphing into the shape of a... person. Saniya's chest seized up. Was this another alien invasion? If it was, then it was a weird one.

Marsha bawled into her sweaty tank top. "I can't stop," she cried repeatedly between her uneven breaths.

Saniya held her closer. "You're okay, just match my breathing," she said in the same tone Bruce used with her. Marsha continued to cry. "Marsha, you can do it," she whispered. She felt a slight nod as they rocked back and forth.

The longer they stayed in that position, the less the sun looked like a green person. It wasn't until Marsha was completely calmed down when the sun was back to normal.

Marsha latched onto her like she was covered in glue. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.

Saniya rubbed small circles on the back of Marsha's neck. "You don't need to be sorry."

She shook her head. "I couldn't stop it. I never can. It just happens."

Saniya pushed Marsha's tear-soaked hair behind her ear. "Everything is okay now. You don't have to be sorry."

Bruce rubbed his hands together in a nervous habit. "Thor, please tell me you have some idea what is happening, because I have no clue." He shook his head. "The sun isn't supposed to change shape. That isn't normal and I'm sort of freaking out." With his right hand tensed, he measure his pulse.

Thor frowned deeply. He knelt down to lightly pat Marsha's back. That managed to bring her sobs to a small whimper. "I do not know, but I know someone who may have all the answers."

"Who?"

He stood with an odd expression on his face. "My brother, Loki, may know. He may be able to give us answers about everything." _Even about their abilities_ , was the unspoken sentence that they all picked up on.

The room fell silent except for Marsha's tears. Suddenly, Natasha nodded. Her face darkened. "You might be right. I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth, but we need Loki's help."

* * *

 **For those who skipped the panic attack scene:**

Marsha experiences a panic attack after another incident. She accidentally makes the sun morph into a green man as in accordance to Hindu theology. Because of an unknown connection between Saniya and Marsha, Saniya experiences the panic attack along with her. With Bruce's help, she finds Marsha and calms her down. Thor plans to talk to Loki to find out about the sisters' abilities and their connections to each other.

 **Don't forget to review/favorite/follow! I love all of you**


	15. Chapter 14

**Don't forget to review! I love hearing back from you guys.**

 **Katie Moon: I'm happy you're still loving my story :) I'm also SUPER excited to write Loki into the story. He'll be really interesting**

 **Mikomi121: Thank you for taking time to review :D I'm glad that I wrote the panic attack well. I was afraid I didn't and ended up offending someone or something like that haha**

 **Sad rad fish: Thank you!**

* * *

Thor stood out on the quinjet landing pad like a statue, Mjolnir in hand. He wore his armor proudly, complete with a red superman cape. Seeing him in typical Asgardian armor was weird, but fitting. This was Thor wearing the clothing of his culture and he was proud to share that with his friends.

"I do not know when I will return," Thor yelled over the wind. The top of a large skyscraper was not the best place for a conversation. "I will ask my father's permission to speak with my brother, but I do not know if it will be allowed."

Pepper wrapped an arm around Tony's waist. He shielded her from the breeze the best he could. "Your room will be waiting for you when you come back," she raised her voice enough for him to hear her.

Thor bowed his head. "I thank you for your hospitality, Lady Stark." Pepper frowned while Tony's looked like he had been electrocuted.

Natasha laughed under her breath. "Smooth way of telling Tony to finally put a ring on that woman," she muttered.

Thor turned to Saniya and Marsha, who were clinging on each other to avoid freezing in the early September air. "We will find answers; do not worry."

Saniya gave him a tense smile. The unknown of when her friend would come back ate at her. She was tempted to tell him to forget all about his brother and stay there with them, but she did her best to keep those thoughts to herself. It wasn't just her all this was affecting. Marsha deserved answers as much as she did. There was a time and place to demand to get something you want, and this was not it.

"Take your time," she told him through chattering teeth. "We don't need to know everything right away. Go visit Jane." Thor's expression turned wistful at the name. "I know you haven't seen her in a long time." The words were sour in her mouth, but she managed to force them out.

Steve slipped his hands in his jeans pockets. Just like the Norse god, he wasn't affected by the temperature. "Bring your dame back to the tower some time. We'd all like to meet her."

Thor beamed. "I would very much enjoy that." He raised his hammer in the air, but Saniya halted his mid-movement by engulfing him in a hug.

"You're not leaving without a hug," she smacked his arm.

He returned the gesture, lifting her several feet off the ground. Her ribs ached, but it was worth it. A hug from Thor was like a hug from a giant teddy bear. Who would pass that up? An added bonus that she hadn't expected: she stole some of his body heat and no longer felt like an ice cube.

Thor gently set her back on her feet.

"I know I said for you to take your time, but don't keep us waiting forever either." Saniya stuffed her hands in her sweatshirt, rubbing them together. "I heard Natasha doesn't have much patience."

He smiled with the force of a thousand light bulbs. It was so bright, she had to blink the dots away. "Then I shall return as soon as possible, for fear of keeping my comrade waiting."

Saniya released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Thor wasn't going to be gone forever. He was coming back. Though it was sort of ridiculous to even think such thoughts in the first place, her mind was put at ease for the most part.

Thor faltered. He placed a large hand on her shoulder. "Do not fret, Lady Saniya."

Saniya scoffed. "I'm not fretting. Go on. You've got a lot of stuff to do."

Before she froze to death on the landing pad —it was the only space in the tower big enough and outside for Thor to leave safely—, she rushed to Marsha's side. The two sisters clung together as they watched Thor lift his hammer. In a flash of light and a boom that would leave their ears ringing for hours, he was gone, leaving only an intricate design behind on the metal.

Marsha dipped her head. "I'm going to miss him."

Saniya bit down on her lower lip. "He'll be back soon," she told her. At least, she hoped so.

Pepper tugged her blazer tighter around her body. She had it the worst out of everyone since she was wearing only a skirt and a light jacket. "Everyone come inside before you catch a cold. There will not be another outbreak."

Tony opened the door, graciously holding it for Pepper. He served as a human wall between Pepper and the two sisters. "Hurry before we become popsicles and wake up seventy years later!"

They packed into the elevator. Tony and Pepper stepped off on their floor. From what she saw before the elevator slammed in her face, it was extravagant. There was a chandelier and furniture with a too minimalist look for her taste. Tony had spent his money well, even if it was on furniture people couldn't sit in. Everything was too fancy and it made her gut churn.

But that was most likely the frugal coupon-cutter nestled in the depths of her soul talking.

Steve, Natasha, Marsha, and Saniya rode the elevator back down to the living floor. Clint, perched on the back of the couch like a hawk, laughed at their pink roses and wind-tossed hair.

"Told you it was a record low for the first week in September. But nobody listens to Hawkeye."

Steve shrugged. "The cold never bothered me anyways. After the serum, I mean."

Everyone but Steve snorted. Even Natasha managed the unladylike sound. She crossed the floor to sit on Clint's lap.

"Are you going to sing for us, Rogers? It's kind of a rule when you say that line." Her lips curled into a devious smirk.

The super soldier tilted his head, the joke going right past him. Clint quietly sung 'Let It Go', much to Steve's confusion.

Saniya angled her head to have a good view of Steve's face. "You would make a nice Elsa. You have the hair for it," she commented. She held back a comment about him being frozen in ice. That seemed insensitive and she was trying to get on his good side.

Marsha hid a laugh behind a tiny hand while Clint made sure that Steve knew he was laughing. Natasha pursed her lips before nodding in agreement. Steve frowned and said something about looking up the reference later under his breath.

That was when she noticed someone was missing, and it wasn't Thor or Tony. In fact, she hadn't seen him all day.

"Where's Bruce?"

"Oh, you mean the hermit of Stark Tower?" Clint asked. She nodded. "He's been cooped up in the lab all night." He rested his hands behind his head.

Saniya tapped her foot as she thought. He was due for a thanks for taking care of her during Marsha's panic attack yesterday, so this was as good as time as any. She decided that Bruce deserved a distraction.

She paused in front of the doors and looked over her shoulder. "Marsha?" The woman in question smiled at her. "Will you be okay if I go and see Bruce?"

Her smile wavered, the lower lip morphing into something dangerously close to a pout. Marsha's eyes were wide, a lot like a sad puppy. Despite the dejected look, she nodded. "I'll be fine, but," she inhaled deeply, her voice coming out as quiet as a whisper, "what if it happens again?"

The Avengers tensed. _What if the sun transformed into a green man again? What if something worse happened?_ At least Natasha did a good job of masking her stress from the implications of the question with cold indifference. Or maybe she wasn't concerned about another accident at all. Saniya was not a mind reader, that was for sure, and she wasn't even going to try to understand the assassin.

Steve lifted his chin in a proud manner. "If something does happen, then you will be in capable hands, ma'am."

He patted Marsha twice on the shoulder. _Sure_ , he was perfectly friendly to Marsha who was a far worst threat (as far as abilities go) but was bordering strong dislike with Saniya. That goes to show how far the hypocrisy in Steve ran.

 _Or_ , the logical side of her said, _Marsha was actually kind to him and not a royal b-i-t-c-h_.

But, Steve's confident answer was good enough for her to leave her sister with the Avengers. Jarvis entertained her with show tunes on the ride down and generously opened the lab door for her. The AI was quickly becoming one of her most cherished friends.

" _Please take this time to mentally prepare yourself_ ," Jarvis warned.

It took a couple seconds to realize what Jarvis meant. Several dirty plates were stacked by the door, waiting for someone to pick them up. Nothing too awful, but it wasn't the lab that was in bad shape. Bruce was leaned up against a table with his head in his hands. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he looked like he was in a great need of a shower.

"Bruce?" she called out.

He looked up. Saniya remembered when he checked her ribs. Bruce looked awful then. Somehow, he looked even worse. His tired eyes drooped though they were considerably more alert at the sight of her. There was a light layer of five o'clock shadow on his face, making him less put together than she remembered.

Bruce cast his eyes to the ground. "Jarvis, warn me next time someone is coming down," he said hoarsely.

" _I did, Dr. Banner, but you did not respond_."

Saniya stepped hesitantly. "Are you hungover?" she asked in disbelief.

His eyes widened. "No, no. I... I don't drink."

She frowned and searched his face, trying to find some sort of answers to why he was acting this way. But, she was no Natasha and could not find out everything from one glance. "Then why do you look like you are? When's the last time you've slept?"

He clutched the end of the table, head facing the floor. Bruce didn't answer so Jarvis did for him.

" _He has not rested since the Hulk incident two nights ago_."

She crossed her arms. Here she was thinking that Bruce was the epitome of health and perfectness. If she was not standing before him, she never would have believed he let himself slide this far. Even she could see that he was close to crashing, from sleep deprivation and... something else.

Saniya narrowed her eyes. What was it? Then, it hit her as she recalled their conversations between what Jarvis dubbed the 'Hulk Incident' and that moment. All the apologizing yesterday, the look in his eyes... he was guilty, and guilt was a hell of a thing to keep someone up at night.

Her —she wouldn't necessarily describe them as maternal, but that was the best description she could come up— instincts kicked in and she had to do something.

Her expression softened. She crossed the lab to place a hand on his arm. "Get some sleep," she told him.

His knuckles turned white. Then he loosened his grip, letting blood flow back through his hand. "I've been having a little trouble with that," he muttered. Bruce shifted away from her touch, but she met his movements with ease.

"Bruce," she said, voice dripping with concern, "you look like a zombie. At least try."

He didn't respond. Saniya huffed loudly. Bruce being difficult was foreign territory. She slid herself between him and the counter. Her body almost rubbing against his if she puffed out her chest. "Tell me why you can't sleep," she tried a different approach.

He shook his head. Like the last time she touched him, he backed away. Saniya wrapped her arms around his neck. The faintest hint of a flush rose up his neck, but it had the desired effect of locking him in place. "Come on. It'll only help to talk about it," she urged.

Bruce closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in through his nose. "How can you stand being near me after what happened? I've been thinking and thinking, but I still don't understand."

She frowned. "It wasn't your fault."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Her comment got to him. "The Other Guy did all the damage, sure, but I'm the one who let him. If I had more control or—" His voice was nearing hysterical when he cut himself off. Bruce roughly broke himself away and placed two fingers on his pulse point.

Saniya reached out to him but thought better. Maybe he needed his space and she was just making it worse by putting her hands all over him. "I forgive the Hulk, too," she said.

That was a partial lie. There was still an internal debate in her head whether the Hulk and Bruce were two people in one body or one person with two personalities. Bruce would be immediately forgiven. And if the Hulk was technically Bruce, then he was forgiven too.

It was easy for her to hold a grudge against a stranger or someone she disliked, but against a friend... that was impossible.

"I don't." He ran a hand through his hair, keeping his back to her. "Do you want to know why I can't sleep?"

"Bruce—"

"It's because all I can imagine when I close my eyes is crushing you between my hands." Bruce turned and grabbed her by the shoulders. His fingers dug into her flesh. The colors of his eyes began to tint a light green around the pupil. Green like the Hulk. "You could have died! Be smart and leave!"

Saniya tried and failed to hide how much his behavior scared her. The green in his eyes morphed back to the typical brown. Bruce released her immediately, staring at his hands with a horrified expression.

She calmed her shaking hands by squeezing them into two strong fists.

"I know that," she snapped back. "I know I could have died! I was thrown out a window for fuck's sake, so I understand almost dying pretty well! But you know what? It doesn't matter that I almost died because I'm still here." She tensed her arms by her side. "Stop grieving for someone who isn't dead."

Before she knew it, she was toe to toe with him and jabbing him in the chest with her pointer finger. "You feel bad, I get that. But stop! Stop it right now because neither of us had control over the situation. Holding onto stuff like this will only make you cynical."

Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but she placed her hand over his lips. Saniya tried to control the frustration in her voice. "I know I sort of snapped at you, but we are going to have a rational discussion about this. Okay? No more self-blaming, just a calm discussion."

He nodded and her hand dropped. "You might be a little late on keeping me from becoming cynical, but you made some good points." It was a jab at himself, but she heard the faint hint of amusement underneath the sadness.

Saniya stopped an eye-roll. "And here comes the part where you refute all of them and tell me how wrong I am."

There was the briefest twitch of a shy smile. If she hadn't been watching him, she would have missed it. "No, this is the part where I make some of my own," he reasoned. "The Other Guy is a part of me and is my responsibility to keep in check. Losing control is not an option."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What makes you change into the Other Guy?"

"When my heart rate gets too high..." He drifted off as two of her fingers rested on his pulse point on his neck. She swore she felt it jump under the pads of her fingers.

Saniya focused on the beat under his skin going at a steady rhythm. This was the key to what made him change to a creature of pure anger and she was measuring it with only her fingers. That amazing concept was enough to keep her embarrassed from randomly caressing his throat.

She locked eyes with Bruce. "How close are you now?"

He took several moments to reply. "Not very. I'm fairly relaxed."

Her fingers slid off of his neck. "Then it's safe to assume the Other Guy is in check right now?" Bruce nodded, trying to figure out where she was going with that. Saniya took a half-step closer to the scientist. This time, he didn't move away. "That was the only time I've ever seen you like that, so you have a really high success rate of controlling him. Everyone slips ups sometimes. Why beat yourself up over it?" she asked.

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "That wasn't one stupid slip-up. You can't compare almost being murdered to a stupid slip-up on my part," he strained out.

She pulled his hand away from his face and held it in her own. "It was somewhat my fault too. You can't forget that."

His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You aren't blaming yourself for wearing those shorts, are you?"

Saniya crinkled her nose. "What? What does what I was wearing have to do with anything?"

At a frightening speed, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I don't— Nevermind." Bruce mentally slapped himself.

She narrowed her eyes. "As I was saying before you commented on my shorts, I should have listened to you and ran. I still blame everyone for not telling me that you could… you know..., but I still should have listened."

Bruce shook his head. "No, I should have told you a long time ago." His lips curled into a deep frown. "I knew that you didn't know back in the helicarrier, but I never..." his voice dropped off before he began again. "I am so sorry."

Saniya clasped both of her hands to his face so he would look her in the eyes. "Everything is okay." Before be protested, she interrupted him. "You're my friend and I forgive my friends. Don't worry about it."

He blinked. "Friends," he said softly to himself, trying out the word on the tip of his tongue.

Her foot tapped the floor in an uneven rhythm. "Yeah. We're friends." Saniya picked up a lock of his hair and pulled her hand away quickly. "And as your friend, I think it's my duty to tell you that you need a shower. Like, it's at the point where it isn't optional anymore."

Bruce glanced back to his work. "I need to finish up here first."

She bumped his shoulder. "Hurry up, then. And after that I expect Jarvis to tell me that you're taking a nice, long nap, okay?" Saniya gave him a pointed look. "Promise? You need to take care of yourself."

He nodded slowly. "You're right. I will."

Saniya smiled and pecked his cheek. The scientist froze instantly. "I hope you feel better about all this soon." She stopped at the door of the lab, giving him one last look, before disappearing down the hall.

 _I hope you feel better about all this soon._

Bruce hoped so too. While her talk didn't make him feel much better (he did almost gain more blood on his hands), Bruce's body felt lighter. She made her stance on the subject clear and he was willing to take that in consideration. This was something he would have to think deeper about. Of course, that didn't mean he forgave himself. He stopped forgiving himself long before he met Saniya and he doubted he could anymore.

He tapped his finger on the screen, pulling back up the loading bar of three strands of DNA being compared. It'd be a couple of hours yet, but soon he would see the results.

Without knowing it, his hand lifted to the place she kissed. The feeling replayed over and over. The warmth of her lips against his skin, how unfortunately brief it had been... it irritated the Other Guy.

But the irritation wasn't bad, per se. It was more of a restlessness and Bruce didn't know how to handle that. The Hulk only had two emotions: anger and numbness. This was new. New things regarding the Other Guy were always unsettling.

" _So, don't be mad, but I overheard a part of your conversation and..._ ," Tony held back snickers over the speaker. The billionaire had taken to speaking electronically rather than face to face, which made him more confrontational. What better way to aggravate Bruce than from a room safe from his rage?

"Tony," he warned, "that was a private conversation." His face heated up as a number of questions floated to the front of his mind. Bruce wasn't sure he had the energy to convince Tony and himself that the kiss on the cheek was purely platonic.

" _I know, I know. That's why I back-pedaled out of there faster than when I told Pepper that her grandmother was annoying. But, I managed to overhear, haha, one juicy bit_."

Bruce closed his eyes to keep himself calm. "And what was that?"

" _That part about her shorts. So, I, like any good scientist, went back and viewed the Hulk footage and noticed something I didn't see before_." He did not like where this was going. " _Dude! I never took you for a butt kind of guy_."

He groaned, covering his face. "Tony, please don't."

" _C'mon, it's funny. Saniya's butt is the sole reason for the destruction of my lab_."

"Her butt is not the reason!"

He snickered, enjoying Bruce's dismay. " _I wonder what she would say if I told her that you stare at her butt for an abnormal amount of time every day._ "

Bruce sputtered out a defense. "I don't— That's not what it's like. Tony, don't you dare!"

" _I bet if I look through all the surveillance footage, I'll be able to find at least a_ million _instances you checked out that booty. God, I am having too much fun with this_."

He glared at the ceiling. Tony was bound to be seeing the dangerous look on his face. "Tony, if you do that, I will willingly destroy an entire floor of the tower," he said and he was deadly serious.

Tony calmed down his laughter to an occasional hiccup. " _Heh, okay I'll stop. You don't need to be so dramatic_." He hummed quietly. " _She's right. You need a shower stat_."

A small smile rose on his face, despite the turbulent feelings inside of him. "I was going to get to that before you started blackmailing me."

His voice was so serious that he thought for a second it wasn't Tony on the other end. " _You do that, then. I'm glad she convinced you to take care of yourself._ "

Bruce shut off the screen. The program ran in the background. His fingers itched to be stuffed in his pockets.

" _Hey, so, Saniya just told Jarvis who told me to tell you that she wants to thank you for helping her and Marsha out yesterday. She said she forgot to tell you after she was done chewing you out for being an irrational ball of guilt._ "

He began to move to the hallway to hitch an elevator back to his floor. "I'm a doctor. It's what I do," he said with a wry smile.

A sad sigh left his lips. Bruce was nowhere near okay, but he was getting better. _Saniya_ was helping him get better.

* * *

It was later in the day when Clint and Natasha walked down the hallways of the helicarrier. The upper levels were as busy as ever, with agents and important people rushing back and fro. They were used to the constant stream of people, as they were important themselves. So, it was a bit of a culture shock to be on one of the lower levels and seeing a grand total of five people.

"What room again?" Clint asked.

She double checked the numbers of the rooms they were passing. Large metal doors with nothing more than a regular lock that could be opened with a bobby pin lined the walls. It looked like a prison, which, it could be considered one if someone was stuck with the menial jobs on that floor.

"We're almost there," she murmured.

He rolled his eyes. "I know, but what's the room number?"

She brushed against his hand. "I'll know when I see it—" Natasha jerked her head. "There it is."

Clint opened the door for her, revealing rows upon rows of file cabinets. Several towers of boxes filled with manila folders sat near the corner yet to be organized. Ever since SHIELD had transferred to digital filing, there wasn't much need for rooms like these. SHEILD was always prepared, though, and kept rooms like these running in case something like Y2K happened.

These rooms were severely undermanned, but that was what made it so easy to find her. Natasha only had to look through a dozen or so employees to find the right name. Fury put her somewhere she could be useful. Finally, her amazing memory was being put to use. It was technically a demotion, but this job fit her skills well.

Clint knocked on the doorframe. "Dorie Hughes?"

Dorie put the file she was reading down. Her hair, which had used to be in a tight bun, tumbled over her face. "Who are you?"

"Agent Mulder and Scully," he answered. She frowned deeply in an unamused expression. Dorie was a tough audience. Clint sighed at his joke falling flat. "It doesn't matter who we are."

She smacked her gum against the roof of her mouth. "It kind of does. I have to record the names of everyone who comes down here."

Natasha ran a finger along the dust gathered on top of the metal cabinet. She wiped it on Clint's shirt. "Let me guess. We are the only people to come down here since you've been demoted to SHIELD's living hard drive."

She clenched her fists in her lap. "That doesn't matter. I have to record everyone who—"

Clint leaned against the wall. "Just write down that the two best Avengers came for some information." He winked at Natasha.

Dorie clenched her jaw. "That's even more ridiculous than Agent Mulder and Scully," she retorted.

Natasha smirked, looking at her best friend from the corner of her eye. "I don't think it's so ridiculous, but Cap might have us beat for the best Avenger." The agent coolly regarded Dorie. "We need a summary of your research on Aghamarshan Elliot. More specifically, what she can do."

Dorie leaned back in her chair, using it for some sort of comfort as the two agents cornered her. "I... don't... I don't know what you mean. I wasn't involved in any research."

Clint kept his face impassive. "We know Saniya Ramakrishna if that makes it easier."

There was a twitch, a tell, of how exactly Dorie felt about Saniya. There goes our one way to make her talk, Natasha thought, but she had a backup argument.

"We have Elliot in custody and some things have happened. I'm sure you have some idea of what it was," Natasha amended.

Dorie didn't cover her interest well. Her whole body perked in anticipation. "What exactly happened?"

 _And the fish bit the hook._

The right side of her lips curled into a half-smirk. "The sun turned into a green man the other day, for one. Not sure if you heard about that since SHIELD was good at keeping it out of the news."

She clasped her hand over her mouth though she didn't look as surprised as she should have.

Natasha leaned forward. "We just need you to tell us what to expect from her."

Dorie nodded weakly at first, then with more determination. There was a newfound fire in her eyes. Someone was finally listening to her and she was eager to help. "I traced a bunch of stuff across the United States, some weird things SHIELD didn't pick up on. A lot was centered in California. That's where she used to live, right?"

"Right."

She continued effortlessly. All her information she found out was easily accessed in her memory and hadn't faded one bit. "The events were signs for the end of the world, but I thought it was weird since it only revolved around one Hindu mystic's interpretation. Out of all interpretations, it just copied his, so I really doubt the world is coming to an end, if that's what you're worried about."

"And what is his interpretation?" Clint asked.

"It'll rain fire and blood, tigers will disappear from the forests, bulls will grow mammary glands," Dorie listed. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I can write them down if you want."

She, in a flurry of paper and pens, scribbled a short list of ten things on a piece of paper. Her handwriting was slanted in her excitement of being taken seriously. When she was finished writing, Clint folded the list into his pocket.

Dorie hesitated. "I also have a copy of my research if it'll help."

Natasha's eyebrows lifted. "You made a copy of your research? That's a huge security risk, Hughes."

She pulled out a folder of papers from her book bag. Dorie flipped through them once to make sure everything was in the right place. "It's still my research. Nobody explicitly told me I couldn't." Clint took the opportunity to skim her findings when he was given the folder. "Plus, it's not a security risk if only SHIELD reads my research. I normally keep it in a locked safe."

Clint whistled. "Wow, this is a lot of information. You have a good head on your shoulders, Hughes."

Dorie shook her head but stopped herself. "Maybe... maybe I do," she conceded. The creases by her eyes smoothed. "Yeah, I'm pretty smart," she said like it was an important secret.

Natasha began to move towards the door. Clint was close behind her. "A word of advice, don't give your research to just anyone who asks for it. They might use it in ways that won't end well for you."

The blood ran out of Dorie's face as she took in the meaning of Natasha's words. "I—"

She smirked. "Don't worry, Hughes. We aren't just anybody." Natasha pointed at her. "This stays between us."

Natasha smothered a laugh as she walked out the door. From the corner of her eye, she saw Dorie lunge for a phone, most likely to call Director Fury. Her hushed conversation was barely audible in the hallway.

Clint shook his head, but there was a smile on his face. "You didn't have to scare the poor girl."

"Just keeping her on her toes," Natasha chimed. "No harm, no foul. Plus, she'll accidentally rat herself out for hoarding SHIELD information. Less paperwork for us and SHIELD has one less security risk to worry about. The worst she'll get is a slap on the wrists and a life lesson."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, rubbing his thumb on the exposed skin of her upper arm. "You are devious," he teased. She didn't disagree. "So, are you finally going to tell me why we came all this way for something we could've made a phone call about?"

Her eyes lit playfully. She pressed the button for the elevator and Clint's arm fell to his side. Still, they stood too close for people who were only colleagues. "I wanted to keep it a surprise," she confessed.

"Come on, babe."

The ex-soviet spy wrapped a finger around his belt loop. She pulled him a fraction of an inch closer. "Fury has a mission for us and I'm picking up the details. It's in Europe, so you know what that means," she said slyly.

Clint's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that we're staying at your Italian safehouse? The one on the cliff?" Natasha nodded and he pumped his fist in the air. "This is the best news I've heard all day! What's the mission?"

"I'm not completely sure yet. Fury wants to talk to us in person. All I know is that we are tracking the person responsible for the massacre in Lithuania."

He frowned. "Hydra?"

"Doubt it," she dismissed. "If it was, it would be higher priority."

"And Saniya?"

One delicate eyebrow raised. "What about Saniya?"

Clint waved his hands. "Agent Musa will literally scalp me if I don't work on her training once a day." Right as she began to roll her eyes, Clint let out an outburst. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Romanoff. I've heard the stories."

The elevator stopped and the two agents got off. They walked down the route they knew well to Fury's office. Finally, there were in familiar territory.

"Have Agent Musa take her then. It'll only be for a few days."

He looked at her like she was insane. "She's training five other people right now. No way will I be the one to tell her that she'll have to take on Saniya full time for who know's how long."

She sighed, seeing where this conversation was heading. "Are you trying to get out of the mission or trying to convince me to bring her along? I'm not sure which one you're going for."

They flashed their identification badges at a guard standing at the end of the hallway. He nodded and eased his hand off of his weapon.

Clint mustered up the most pleading expression he could. "We could leave her at your house while we do our job. I can introduce her to this sort of lifestyle as part of her training."

Natasha pursed her lips. The idea was repulsive. Bringing someone who could not defend themselves was downright cruel, and she did have some form of conscious. But, if they left her at the house... No, Natasha didn't like that idea either. The thought of someone snooping around her safehouse without her there was repulsive.

Clint was right to fear Agent Musa. That woman had a certain drive that struck fear in every man's heart. If she was in his place, she'd be mildly worried for her well-being. So, with this in mind, she nodded.

 _The things I do for the people I care about_ , she bemoaned to herself.

"Fine, but you have to arrange everything for her and convince her to come with." She glared. "I'm not going to be her babysitter or travel guide."

He smothered a grin. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

She stopped right in front of Fury's door. "Yes, but it wouldn't hurt to tell me again."

* * *

"Screw this, screw this, screw this," she repeated with each lunge. Her legs were burning, mostly from yesterday's workout. It didn't help that Clint left a list of exercises for her to do. He would find out if she didn't do them. The sneaky AI told her himself, which meant Jarvis would betray her to Clint.

If she wasn't guaranteed to be tattled on, Saniya would be sitting on the couch eating a bowl of ice cream and cursing Director Fury's name to anyone who would listen. Instead, she was in the stinky gym with Marsha talking to stupid Steve who was taking up all her attention. Marsha was explaining to Steve what a lesbian was and sexuality overall, making dramatic gestures to herself often. Some of his responses made Saniya want to bang her head against a brick wall.

Despite his ignorance on the subject, Steve was polite and made an effort to learn. If he had not, Saniya would have forced him to. But, Marsha and Steve were getting along fine and having a civil discussion.

The downside was that this civil discussion meant completely blocking Saniya out.

She hated being ignored. Hell, she could barely stand being alone for too long. It was a real problem that she was trying to work on, but it was hard to do when people were giggling ten feet away from you.

Like clockwork, Marsha laughed happily as Steve chuckled along. Saniya's lips turned into an upside-down 'u'.

 _Get it together, Saniya. She can laugh and talk to whoever she wants. She's your sister, not your slave._

"Hi, Bruce. How are you?"

She poked her head up at Steve's voice. Sure enough, Bruce was standing there. He looked healthier than before and was more like himself. Turned out her talk worked as a good kick in the rear.

"Fine, thank you. I'm actually here to talk with Saniya."

Saniya stood up, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants. He walked carefully towards her, forehead creased with anticipation. The way he was acting made her stomach seize up. "Is something wrong?"

"I wouldn't say wrong," he began slowly. "It's definitely not wrong, but I don't think you will be happy about it."

Her nose crinkled. "Great. Okay, well, tell me fast so I can get over it faster."

Bruce hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere else to talk?"

She nodded. "Yep. What is it?"

He gulped, obviously dreading her reaction. "I've done a lot of testing and have tripled checked my work. I'm one hundred percent positive that you are not related to your parents in any way."

Saniya blinked.

Bruce rubbed his hands together. "You're adopted."

"That's not true," she denied, but it was a weak argument. She grabbed onto Bruce's shirt to steady herself. "I don't believe you."

 _'I don't want to believe you'_ was closer to the truth, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Why would she want to admit that a part of her identity had been fake the entire time? Bruce wouldn't lie to her, though. She wasn't sure how she came to that conclusion so suddenly in the short time she knew him, she just knew he wouldn't.

Bruce released her hand from his shirt. "It's okay to feel this way," he said.

She blinked her eyes to rid themselves of the tears gathering. Saniya refused to cry because of her parents. She refused _adamantly_. "And you're sure of this?" In a much quieter voice she whispered: "Please say no."

"I'm sorry, but I am." The space between his eyebrows creased. "Are you okay?"

"No, I feel pretty terrible right now," she snapped. Their roles were reversed and it was Saniya who was backing away from comfort. She stormed towards the elevator. "I'm going to be alone for a while."

Marsha immediately jumped to her aid. "Saniya?"

She waved off her sister, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. "Being alone includes everyone, Marsha."

Marsha looked at Bruce for answers. She hadn't overheard their conversation and Saniya wasn't going to stop and explain. She wasn't going to stop until she was drowning under a pile of blankets and finally alone.


	16. Chapter 15

Saniya moaned into her pillow, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. What she wouldn't give to have Thor come back. She needed him more than ever for the emotional support she craved. Without him here, she was severely lacking in optimism and happiness.

She flopped the blankets off of her. Why did she even come up here? She hated being alone.

Well, she thought it would help get her mind in order, but without someone to vent to, her mind was messier than ever. _So much for trying to be emotionally independent_ , she thought to herself. God, she was pathetic for even thinking she could make herself feel better, but she didn't know who to turn to.

It was hard to think of who would be the best to complain to when all she felt like doing was crying.

"Jarvis? Will you talk to me?" she croaked.

" _I am able to, though, I do not recommend it since I have no capacity for sympathy. I am merely a series of codes_."

He had a point, but Saniya didn't care. "Yeah, but...," she began.

" _May I recommend speaking with Ms. Elliot? She will be able to fulfill your emotional needs_."

She huffed, blowing several strands of hair off of her face. "That might be the best, actually. I can always count on you, Jarvis."

" _She is en route to the room. Dr. Banner inquired about your well-being. Would you like for me to give him a message?_ "

Saniya squeezed the heels of her hand on her eyes. She wanted to see Bruce, but at the same time _really_ didn't want to see him. He would just think she was a dramatic jerk if he saw her in this frame of mind.

"Tell him that he is really cute for caring, but physically I am fine."

" _I believe he is questioning your emotional health_ ," Jarvis said.

"Yeah, no. I feel really crappy right now," she grumbled. "I'll be better after I complain to Marsha."

The door opened abruptly then shut itself after a quiet 'oops'. Marsha knocked on the door, waiting for Saniya's permission to enter.

She sat up in the bed. "It's your room too," Saniya called out.

Marsha creaked the door open. She moved slowly, as if any sudden movements would set Saniya off. "Bruce told us what happened. I'm so sorry," she said.

Her stomach recoiled, causing her to fall back on the bed. "A lot of things make more sense, though," Saniya mumbled. She threw her hands in the air, waving them with bottled frustration. "I'm probably not even American! You were born in India and you're younger than me, so I most likely was too."

There was the large question of why her parents —adoptive parents— would lie about this. Wouldn't it have been easier to tell her the truth rather than have her always believe all those lies about who she was? Everything seemed unnecessary and she wished Bruce had never had told her the truth. At least then she could still live in the illusion that her adoptive parents were her actual parents and other things that used to be guaranteed. Now, there were giant question marks in areas of her life she was so certain she knew that answers to hours ago.

Marsha perched on the end of the bed. Her eyes were wide. "It's not so bad being adopted. I remember feeling awful when my parents first explained it to me, but your parents chose you. That's special."

Saniya crinkled her nose. "It's not the being adopted that's making me upset," she admitted. "It's just... because of SHIELD, I don't have my job, my apartment... I'll never have my old life back. It was sort of a lame life, but it was mine. They took that away from me." She forced herself to sit upright. "Who my parents were and being born in America were some of the few things I carried with me. They were constant no matter what happened. It sucks that I can't have that now, as stupid as it sounds."

She tapped her feet together in an unsteady rhythm. "It feels like a part of my identity was torn away from you. You know what I'm saying? I mean, it's not the biggest deal. It's not like I even want my adoptive parents in my life anymore, so why am I freaking out about this?"

Her sister stayed silent.

She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing inspirational to tell me to suck it up and move on?"

Marsha looked down at her hands. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better."

Marsha looked legitimately guilty for not being able to do anything. That gave her the feeling of kicking a puppy; she felt like an evil person. This moment was supposed to be all about her, but she was willing to save it for another time if it meant never seeing that expression on her sister's face again. She had to take Marsha's mind elsewhere.

Saniya bumped her shoulder, forcing a grin on her face. It was as stiff as a board, but Marsha bought it, returning it with her own. "I'm sure you didn't react as badly as me to finding out you were adopted."

"No, my mom and dad told me pretty early on." She gave her a sad smile. "I didn't really know what the word meant until two kids from school were teasing me, though. My parents and I had a real talk about my adoption after that." Marsha's face fell. "I miss them."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

She twisted her sleeves. "Too long ago." Marsha squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands. "I never should have left home. They must be so worried."

There wasn't any thought of repercussions when the idea came to her mind. Saniya leaned over to pull her phone from a drawer in the nightstand. "SHIELD will throw a hissy fit, but call them."

The suggestion made Marsha look at her through the slits in her fingers. "What?" Her eyes fluttered to the flip phone in her hand.

She nodded, pressing the device in Marsha's palm. "Yeah. I mean, you can't tell them anything that has happened, but at least they won't think you're dead in some ditch."

Marsha flinched. "What do I even tell them?" she whimpered.

"A lie," Saniya concluded after several moments of thoughts. "A believable one."

The light drained out of her eyes. This hit Saniya worse than before. "I don't want to lie to them."

"You have to." Her expression softened as Marsha pressed a number into the phone.

The exact moment one of her parents picked up could be seen by the way Marsha was reinvigorated with life. It was so uplifting that Saniya's smile became real.

"Mommy," she gasped into the phone. Tears —of either happiness from hearing her mom's voice or sadness from being the last time she'll ever hear her voice— ran down her face. "It's me. Is dad there?"

* * *

Saniya brought her hands to her heart and struggled to stay upright on one leg.

"And then—" She gasped, catching herself before she fell off the side of the building. "And then it was basically a whole bawling fest. Her parents were crying, she was crying, I was crying. They talked for a whole hour before she finally told them she wasn't coming home."

Clint rechecked the harness he strapped around her body. Yoga on top of a skyscraper was the best idea he had yet. They both were enjoying it more than a normal person would; Clint and Saniya were similar in their love for high places. Of course, she would prefer to go harness-less, but Clint didn't let that happen.

He gave her a side glance. "You don't know that."

Her body tensed. "I do know that," she gritted through her teeth. "SHIELD isn't going to let either of us go."

"You're so negative. Have some hope for the future," he teased. He moved into Warrior's Pose, motioning for her to copy with a flick of his fingers. Her thighs screamed in protest. "Pessimism aside, what'd they say?"

Saniya shuddered. Getting stabbed was favorable to reliving the phone call. "It was the worst thing I've ever heard," she confessed in a low voice. "They were devastated."

She had never heard anyone cry like Marsha's mother did. Both of her parents desperately loved their daughter to the point where they'd die without her. Telling them that she was never coming home ripped their hearts from their chests, taking Marsha's with them. Saniya now knew what true sorrow sounded like.

"My parents never would have acted like that," she muttered.

"Sure they would have," Clint grunted, overhearing what was only meant for herself. "Hell, if I had a daughter who said that she was never coming home again, I'd bawl like a baby."

Saniya peered over the side of the building. She wanted to jump away the bad feelings in her chest. "They wouldn't have noticed," she said with indifference.

"Whoa," he said with such a strange tone that she turned to look at him. "Don't start throwing this heavy stuff at me during morning yoga. This is the time to free your soul, not to be sad." Clint lifted one leg off the edge of the building and brought his hands over his heart, channeling the yogi within him.

She blinked. It wasn't that heavy emotionally to her. It just... was. For the first time in her life, it struck her that her parents attitude towards her was not typical. Sure, she had always known they were colder than other parents, but it didn't register till now.

They were neglectful. That was undeniable, but not in the way that got people sent to prison. No, they fed, clothed, and took care of her perfectly fine on a physiological level. They weren't abusive either. Not once was she hit or even spanked. They just lacked in the emotional and social needs aspect of life. So much to the point that the school counselors forced her to have sessions with them every Thursday until high school.

She suddenly wanted parents like Marsha. She wanted parents that cared if she disappeared for five years. She wanted parents that wouldn't force her into a marriage she didn't want anymore. She wanted parents that cared.

Saniya threw herself off the edge of the building before she could overwhelm herself. Clint yelled in surprise but was —in general— calm. She watched the line almost become taut and reversed everything. The jump was cut short, but it did its magic. Her frustrations were coated with a wave of numbness.

Her feet landed back on the roof. Clint was none the wiser of her fall and led her through another set of poses. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, her balance was better than before. The door opened and Natasha walked through carrying a yoga mat. She eyed their position inches away from the edge of the skyscraper with a raised brow.

"What?" Clint protested. "We have harnesses on. Plus, she can look out at all of New York and be observant."

Saniya dropped her arms. "Is that what I'm supposed to be doing? Being observant?"

He ignored her. "So, Tasha, what brings you up here? Finally decided on helping me train Saniya?"

Natasha rolled out her mat. "No. Just here to do yoga and to lay out some ground rules for Europe." Her eyes flickered between the two. She took in their faces. "You didn't talk about it with her," she stated.

Clint crossed his arms. "I was getting to it." He turned his back on the assassin. "How do you feel about Italy?"

Saniya pursed her lips. "Like as a country or...?"

"In general."

"Good... I guess?"

He clapped his hands. "Great. So, I assume you'll be really happy to know that you will have the privilege of a free trip to Italy with me and Nat. Better start packing your bags because we are leaving in a day."

"No."

Natasha stifled a laugh. Clint lifted his middle finger at her behind his back. "What?"

Saniya sat down on the edge, dangling her feet alongside the high-rise. "I don't want to go on a trip with you two," she told him.

"How can you say no to a free trip to Italy?" he sputtered.

Natasha tucked her legs underneath her. There was a curious tilt to her head. "You lived on the streets five years ago and worked every day since then, so you have to know the value of these sort of opportunities. We're offering a chance to travel across the world for free."

Saniya frowned. "I've always been fine staying in one spot. Traveling has never appealed to me," she explained with a sharp undertone.

Clint looked like he was about to beg for his life. "We can even go see all the touristy things if you want," he said. Natasha glared, not liking that suggestion one bit. "Come with us."

She clenched her fist. "No."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I am ordering you to come with."

Saniya crossed her arms, swinging her legs violently. "I said no! How many times do I have to say it before you understand?" Her nails dug into the edge of the exposed balcony. "Why do you want me to come so badly?"

Clint and Natasha met eyes. She leaned back on her mat and smirked, gesturing him to go on. She'd be no help. He sighed. "Because," he started slowly, "it'd be a great training experience for you. Not many people get to have ride-alongs with us."

There had to be something else other than this, but Saniya had no clue what. Strangers don't work this hard to get other strangers on a trip with them without some sort of deeper motive. That was what her common sense was telling her and she was going to follow. Plus, Clint and Natasha worked for SHIELD. They were trustworthy only to a point. Saniya wasn't sure she could trust them not to throw her body in the Mediterranean Sea when no one was looking.

Natasha rolled her back. "Barton, she's not going to leave Marsha alone." Her beady eyes pierced through Saniya's skull. "That's the most likely reason she's staying behind."

She fought back an aggravated scream at herself. She was supposed to be the good older sister and think about Marsha first, but she hadn't even crossed her mind. All Saniya had been thinking about was herself being murdered or locked in an Italian prison. But now that Natasha mentioned it, leaving Marsha here was not an option. In a way, the assassin made it more difficult for Clint to convince her to leave.

She couldn't protect Marsha if she was all the way in Italy.

"You can bring her with," Clint compromised. He opened his palms. "I'm going to be honest with you, Fury is going to throw you in some hot water right away. He'll want to use your abilities immediately and I'd feel better about that if you're prepared."

"I don't see how a vacation to Italy will make me more prepared," she said.

"It's a mission," he told her. "Nat and I are tracking someone." Clint noticed her hesitation. "Just give me an answer by tonight."

Saniya looked down at the city underneath them. "I'm guessing the only answer I can give is 'yes'," she grumbled under her breath. If the two agents heard her, they gave no sign.

* * *

An hour of lessons and sore shoulders later, Clint led her to a table of weapons ranging from pocket knives to machine guns. Natasha, for the first time since training started, sat on a chair, watching with an impassive expression. Saniya felt like she was being judged of whether she was worthy or not.

He gestured towards a black floor with slots in the floor. "Part of your job is going to be to defend yourself. No need to be showy like Nat and break their necks with your thighs. Just be efficient." Clint tapped the table. "These are your weapons to choose from. Take your pick and we'll start."

Her eyes gravitated towards the grappling hook that sat out of place from the rest of the weapons. "You're not going to give me any hints on what I should pick?"

He crossed his arms. "Think of this as a pre-test. Figure out the problem areas before we start teaching you how to fight." Clint pointed towards the area. "This is more about reaction time than skill, so don't worry too much."

She didn't like the sound of fighting. That most likely meant she was going to get hurt. Saniya twisted her upper body, pretending to wince. "Ah, but what about my ribs? I'm not sure I should be doing this," she whined.

Clint smirked. "Then take it easy out there, kid. Like I said, no need to get fancy."

Saniya examined her options. She was at a complete loss of what Clint and Natasha wanted her to choose. This had to be some sort of trick where if she chooses the wrong weapon, she loses.

The key was to choose practicality. He made a point of not getting fancy. Plus, it'd weigh her down to lug a machine gun around with her when she could carry five knives in its place. Saniya picked up the gun Clint had showed her the basics of then set it back down. She took one look at Natasha's smug face and knew that she knew.

 _Screw not getting too fancy_. She was going to use the fucking grappling hook if it killed her. The temptation was too strong.

She weighed it in her hands. It was heavier than the gun she trained with and didn't fit in her palm so nicely, but it satisfied her curiosity. All the coolest spies used grappling hooks.

Clint let out a dry laugh. "God lord, this is going to be a disaster." He slapped her on the shoulder. "Go get 'em, tiger."

Saniya walked on the black pad. She tensed, waiting for an explosion or something. Neither of them did a great job of explaining what was going to happen. In fact, Natasha looked like she was getting a kick out of the whole situation.

Natasha tapped on a screen, one eyebrow raised at the sight before her. Saniya looked ridiculous standing there with only a grappling hook in her hands. "It's on the easiest setting it can go to. Ready yourself."

The floor began to hum with the sound of turning gears. Saniya, out of curiosity and stupidity, looked down one of the slots in the holes. A large shape of a human launched from the floor just inches away from her face. She fell to the ground with a gasp.

After a second, it disappeared into the floor. Two feet to her right, another cutout sprang at her.

"Get up!" Clint yelled over the sounds. "Do something other than waiting for one to jump out from under you."

She got to her feet, leaping out of the way as the slot she was laying on was invaded by a figure. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the beginning of another figure coming out of the floor. Maybe it was a natural reaction to her environment or she was as uncontrolled as Marsha, but time slowed down to a crawl without any thought.

Her mind worked faster than her body, allowing her to calibrate exactly how fast she needed to turn in order to get the grappling hook level with its head. It felt like she was wading in syrup while she fought to get her arms in position. The figure locked into the full upright position with a click. Ever so slowly, she squeezed the trigger.

Time sped up again, and she missed entirely.

As a reflex, she pulled the trigger again and the hook came speeding back, shattering through the behind of the wooden man. The hook locked back into place. Saniya let out a surprised laugh that was cut short as her legs were swept out from under her.

She landed hard on her back and wheezed. Hulk's fingers were once again around her ribs, squeezing the life out of her.

"Krishna? You alright?"

The sound of gears slowed down. Saniya moved to her hands and knees, trying to gain back the breath she lost. Each inhale stretched her body until a sharp pain punctured her side.

Natasha leaned down in front of her. "You should have kept moving," she chided. She took in Saniya's winded appearance. "Jarvis, call Dr. Banner to the gym. He may need to look at her ribs again."

" _As you wish, Agent Romanoff_."

Clint kicked at a splintered piece of wood. "Nice job with the grappling hook. That worked a lot better than I thought it would."

She gave him a weak thumbs-up.

"Hey, you aren't going to tell Musa about this, will you?"

Black Widow's eye roll was so large that the earth shifted on its axis. "Clint, is this really that time to worry about Agent Musa?"

He dropped down to her height, and lightly patted Saniya on the shoulder as if to say 'at least you tried'. "I'm just asking," he defended. "Nothing seems broken, right? I'll be turned into a dried piece of leather if you broke something."

She sat up on her legs, her breath coming back to her. "I think I'm... internally bleeding," she concluded dramatically. "All of my organs... are pure liquid."

The elevator dimmed open and trusty Bruce walked out with a sense of urgency. But when he saw Saniya sitting up and not bleeding with her head cracked open like he imagined, he slowed down.

Saniya sucked in a short breath. "Why is it that I'm always out of breath when I see you?"

Bruce kneeled down, wiping some slivers of wood away. "I'm sure it's not from my good looks," he joked.

She laughed then winced when her ribs tugged. "Tony's changing you. That's a joke he would make."

He ducked his head. "I sincerely hope that isn't the case." His eyebrows drew together. "You will have to lift your shirt for me to look at your ribs."

The shirt came right off, leaving her only in her sports bra. Clint's eyebrows lifted towards the ceiling. Any higher and they would fly off his forehead.

"That is one nasty bruise. That looks almost as bad as when I was ran over by a forklift! What—" He caught himself before he could finish, but the damage was done. Bruce closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose. "I mean... that doesn't look as bad as I thought it would, ah..." He gestured towards the elevator. "We can cut training short today. I'll just go."

The archer was caught between a walk and a run as he bee-lined to the elevator. Natasha silently followed as her business with Saniya was over. Saniya placed a hand on Bruce's cheek. "Hey, it looks worse than it feels," she said in an attempt to stop the harm Clint caused. In truth, her whole torso was a wildfire.

Bruce cleared his throat, his eyes focusing only on her bruises. "As far as I can see, there isn't any new bruising. Does it hurt to breathe?"

Saniya sucked in an experimental inhale. Her facial expression gave everything away. The scientist rubbed his hands on his pants. "I'll tell Tony to clear out the med bay to schedule you an x-ray."

She steadied herself with two hands on the floor. "I'm sure it's fine," she protested.

He raised an eyebrow. "You do not look fine."

"That's because I was just knocked on my ass a couple of minutes ago," she retorted. "If in two hours it still hurts, I'll have an x-ray."

Bruce shook his head. "As your doctor, I recommend an x-ray right away," he said with a stern voice, which was meant to scare her into following his request. Unfortunately for him, Saniya was a stubborn person.

She shrugged, face scrunching as her ribcage was jolted. "And I'm saying wait." Saniya lifted her hands up in the same way a child would if they wanted to be held. "Help me up?" she asked with a smile.

The doctor stared at her for several seconds then shook his head again. Despite his disapproval of unnecessarily waiting for an x-ray that he was determined to make her have, he helped her back on her feet. His fingers lingered on her arm as she walked forward, He quickly dropped them to his sides.

"No more of... whatever you were doing, okay? You need to let yourself heal."

She scoffed. "You'll have to talk to Natasha and Clint about that. It wasn't my choice." A sudden thought passed her mind that made her frown. It had been on her mind for a while and now was the best time to bring it up. "Speaking of things that aren't choices, there's been something I've been confused about." She met his eyes. "To be honest, you're the only person I trust to give me the whole answer."

Bruce glanced up to the ceiling. They both knew he wouldn't be the only one to hear her question. His eyes returned to her face. "I'll try to give you the best answer I can, but I'm not exactly the Avenger that people tell everything to. You'd have better luck asking Nat or Tony."

She rolled her eyes. "No, I won't. They'll give me some stupid ambiguous answer." Saniya took a small step forward, ignoring the jab in her side. "I'm like Loki, right?"

His eyes widened. "You're not—"

Saniya waved her hand. "Okay, so I'm not a Norse god who wants to rule the world, but I have those same... signature things as him."

He nodded slowly. "Yes, but I thought you already knew that."

"I do, and SHIELD knows too. They have known longer than me." Her lips twisted to a scowl. "Why would they try so hard to get me, someone who they think has a connection to that lunatic, to work for them? Why am I even still alive?"

Bruce shifted uncomfortably under her gaze but didn't speak. She clenched her fists. "I have a right to know," she reminded him.

He gave her a rueful smile. "I don't know for sure, but I do have some ideas. You're not going to like them."

 _Deja vu_. And when Bruce said she wasn't going to like it, it meant she really wasn't going to like it.

Saniya steeled herself in anticipation. "Okay, lay it on me." His lips curled into amused disbelief. She lightly kicked his ankle in retaliation. "I promise I won't react like the last time you said something I didn't like."

He smothered the smile. "Tony has been looking at some SHIELD files." There was the implied 'illegally looking' in there that neither bothered to address. "He..." Bruce glanced at the ceiling. "He has been reading some of Nat's reports and has talked about them nonstop."

"From what I have heard from him, SHIELD thinks that as long as you have a strong bond to the Avengers, you won't go rogue. No matter what connection you have to Loki."

Saniya scrunched her nose. "What? I don't have a bond to the Avengers."

He furrowed his brows. "You are pretty close friends with Thor and we're friends." He stuttered over the last word, but the message was still the same. "Marsha also seems to be becoming friends with Steve and Clint." Bruce clasped his hands. "Nat is also contemplating getting close to you and Marsha. She's said so in her reports."

She gulped, taking in his words. "Oh, crap. The Italy trip is some sort of friendship bonding ritual," she said, horrified. She wouldn't put it past them to corner her someplace and force them to bond. The whole mission was a trick.

Saniya forced herself not to freak out. There was the small chance they were telling the truth. But the more she thought about it, the more irrational she became. Thousands of scenarios of 'friendship' with a gun held to her head popped up at a frightening speed. She was thankful for Bruce interrupting her thoughts with his soothing voice.

"Italy trip?"

She dug her shoe into the floor, squishing her toes. "They're apparently tracking someone and making me come with." Saniya considered telling Bruce her thoughts. It was bound to get back to Nat and Clint (at least Tony would hear about it through Jarvis), but she needed some peace of mind. "Do you think it's a trick to make me some sort of SHIELD minion?"

Bruce took in her expression with a creased forehead. "Honestly?"

"Yes. Don't do the thing where you lie to make me feel better," she begged.

"I don't think it is a trick," Bruce said after several moments. "They are most likely actually tracking someone. That sounds like something SHIELD would have them do."

She released a sigh of relief. Bruce doesn't lie. She could trust his word, no matter how much she wanted to argue with him. All Natasha and Clint were doing was tracking someone, not trying to force an unwanted friendship.

A sly grin grew on her face. "You don't happen to want to come to Italy with us, do you? I mean, if they succeed in forcing me to come." She bumped him with her hip. "It'd be more fun with you."

He bent his head, leaning around her to press the elevator button. "No, that wouldn't be a good idea."

Her shoulders sagged. "I think it would be," she confessed as she stood by his side. "You're nice to be with."

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "I'm sure you wouldn't say that if the Other Guy was here. He's considerably less fun."

She shook her head. "I think he'd be a lot of fun to be with too." Saniya peered at him as his eyes were glued on the closed elevator doors. "As long as he doesn't have a temper tantrum."

Bruce tightened his lips but didn't say anything more.

* * *

 **—Somewhere in the Austrian Countryside—**

Her hands tightened across the steering wheel until they turned white. Specks of blood were still caught underneath her nails and stained the sleeves of her shirt no matter how many times she washed them. The locks of her hair, which were once a silky black, were tangled into what could be called a 'rat's nest'. All of her clothes, bundled in a suitcase in the back seat, were stained and wrinkled. The blood and mess followed her everywhere.

Despite her disheveled appearance, the car was as clean as the day she laid eyes on it. There was not a single tear in the leather nor rust on the metal. It used to be her lover's and now it was hers. She would take care of it as he had taken care of her.

Over the low hums of a violin coming through the car radio, there was a loud banging from the back of the car —specifically the trunk. Each bang was followed by a hoarse yell.

She growled, one hand reaching for the glock in the passenger seat. The man was giving her a headache and she was not in the patient mood.

She brought the car to a stop. The sounds were more frantic now. A smirk grew on her face. He saw what she did. He knew what she was capable of. Of course he would be scared.

Just as she opened the door, she caught her eyes in the rearview mirror. They were pitch black. Her stomach rolled at the sight.

Christopher hated it when she was this way. He always said the black in her eyes meant the darkness was coming out. And when she was like this, all she could think about was...

She blinked. There were no thoughts, she concluded, her eyes slowly fading back to brown. There were no thoughts, just actions. Mindless actions that always ended with someone begging for their life.

"Doll, just breathe," came Christopher's voice from the passenger seat.

Her head rested on the steering wheel, eyes closed and gun resting on her lap. He sounded so close, like she could reach her hand out and touch him. "Where are you?" she croaked. "I can't stop myself when you leave me alone for too long."

"Doll, just breathe."

"Come back." She dug her nails into the leather of the seat.

"Doll, just breathe."

"WHY CAN YOU ONLY SAY THAT?" she screeched.

The woman lifted her head and glared at the empty passenger seat. Christopher used to sit there, but he hadn't for many months. She forgot the last time she had seen him, but could easily recall the last time she heard his voice. The crunch of metal and neverending silence from the other end of the phone still followed her in her nightmares.

She threw open the door. His thumps on the trunk turned into sobs. Each word was in unintelligible German. She didn't speak his language, but she found pleas for mercy to be universal around the world.

He was scared of her. He should be.

The safety was off the gun. _He should also be quiet._

She stomped to the back of the car and unlocked the trunk with her keys. At the first sight of fresh air, the man lunged out of the back. Her gun was quicker. No longer was the man sobbing for her to release him.

She closed the trunk, wiping the splatter of blood off her gun with her shirt. There was a long moment of confusion as she stood glancing between the blood and the car.

What was she doing? She couldn't remember. All her memories were a mess. They always have been. After all the blood she'd seen, everything was coated a slick red. It was difficult distinguishing one memory from another.

With eyes fading from the dark coal it suddenly changed to, she went back into the car. She flipped down the mirror hanging from the ceiling and tugged off a small list.

Her finger traced across two names then pressed them to her mouth. Christopher was close to them when he stopped writing to her. In his last phone call, he said he found Saniya. She tried to recall where he was, but her memory was failing her.

Underneath her seat was a stack of letters. The woman, leaving red fingerprints on each page she touched, searched until she found the right one. New York City. She needed to get there, but first she needed a passport.

Finally, she recalled who the man was. He was a forger who promised to make her one very cheap. Sometime between then and now, she decided to stuff him in the back of her car and kill him. Weird. She didn't remember why, just that she did it.

She turned the ignition and rolled the car forward with a sigh. It was important to keep moving. Her sisters were waiting.


	17. Chapter 16

**Just so you guys know as you're reading the story, Signora means Mrs. or Ms., just so you aren't confused. There are some Italian in here. I don't speak the language so I kept it as simple as possible, but if it is wrong, please let me know. I love all of you and thank you for your support :)**

 **Also, do you guys want me to comment on reviews at the beginning of the chapters anymore? Or do you want me to PM? I don't know so just give me your thoughts**

* * *

They didn't have as great of a farewell as she had hoped. Steve said his goodbyes to Natasha, Clint, and Marsha individually. Tony was nowhere to be found and Pepper was busy running an entire business. Thor... well, Thor was in Asgard for who knows how long. And Bruce hadn't bothered to show up. He sent some half-baked goodbye through Jarvis who left a voicemail on Natasha's phone.

The nerve he had. Saniya fully planned to give him a piece of her mind the next time they spoke. As his friend, she deserved something better than that.

In fact, it bothered her more than it should have. She wasn't his number one priority, so it shouldn't have been that big of a deal. Bruce was probably busy with more important things than her. Or maybe he was in another mental breakdown and needed her to metaphorically slap him out of.

But, the longer she thought about how he hadn't even bothered to at least call her himself, the more pissed off she was. If he was having a mental breakdown, he could help himself out of it because she was leaving him on his own.

That was what she was ranting in her mind, but it wasn't true. The second he said the word, she'd be swimming across the ocean to New York.

Clint propped his feet on the dashboard of the SHIELD-provided car. His head was turned, telling Marsha an exciting story about how he single-handedly shot down a plane from another plane, all while flying in the middle of a hurricane.

"So, the other plane goes down and Timothy yells up to me that we're out of fuel and about to swim with the fishes." He paused like a comedian waiting for an audience's reaction. Marsha smiled politely.

Natasha weaved the car down the narrow Italian street with ease. "You forgot to tell the part where Timothy was still dressed in his costume from his theater group's rendition of the Godfather," she said as she narrowly missed clipping someone with the side mirror.

His eyes widened. "You're right! I left an entire part of the story out."

Clint then continued to recall the story for Marsha whose face only became more awe inspired. The more her sister was impressed, the more disgruntled Saniya felt. When he reached the end of the story, making Marsha burst out in giggles, she reached the end of her patience.

"I know what you're doing," she snapped. "We're not going to your friends. I am not going to become your SHIELD minion."

He raised an eyebrow. Natasha stopped the car and turned her head. Her gaze was like a knife slicing through her organs, slowly and without mercy. Saniya pushed herself against the car door, gripping the handle in case she needed to make a break for it.

"And where," Natasha asked with a steel edge, "did you get that idea in your silly head?"

Saniya tried to make herself as tiny as possible. "Uh... Steve?" she squeaked.

The assassin narrowed her eyes. "If you're going to lie, don't make an outlandish claim like that."

She stuck to her guns. Maybe Natasha would appreciate that and leave her alone. "I'm telling you, it was Steve," she continued. "He might not like me, but Captain America always stands for the truth." Saniya forced her back to straighten as Natasha stared her down.

There was a long moment of silence. It made her stomach roll with each passing second.

Natasha turned around to reach for a knife to kill Saniya with for talking back... wait, no, she was just turning around to continue driving the car.

"You did better than the last time you lied to me," Natasha complimented. Her glare, though being shot from the side of her eye, was potent enough to break a sweat on Saniya's forehead. "I know Stark said something to you. It's not a secret that he's been looking through SHIELD files."

She almost laughed at the fact that she never suspected Bruce. Not trusting Natasha to believe her if she said something about Tony, she kept her mouth shut.

"That wasn't the original point of the trip, though," she told Marsha and Saniya. "We're here to track someone, you're here to observe. And, if you happen to form a bond to us, that only benefits SHIELD." The smirk on her face made the assassin very punchable. Well, just look it. She doubted she would be able to actually hit her.

A strong blush rose on Marsha's face. "I think both of you are amazing, even if Saniya doesn't," she said so quietly that they almost didn't catch it. There was a flicker of emotion —something akin to pity— over Natasha's face.

Saniya went back to brooding. Her comment had the desired effect and the entire car was silent for the rest of the ride.

Natasha didn't tell Saniya and Marsha where her secret house was, only that it was in Italy and close to the border between Austria. Just as they drove out from behind a mountain, a small town was seen nestled in the landscape. But, Natasha drove past the cute town to a small house on the outskirts, higher on the mountain.

There was a shoulder-high stone wall surrounding the entire front yard, making it impossible for anyone to drive up to the house. The gate had jagged spikes sticking from the top and a large padlock holding it shut. Just beyond the edge of the yard was the house, which looked just as intimidating. Except for two windows and a door in the front, it was a cube of bricks.

As Saniya tugged her bag out of the trunk from underneath Clint's heavy gear, a cat hopped onto her bag and meowed loudly. It's claws punctured small holes in the bag. The cat was pure black —she had a feeling the universe was giving her a sign about her future luck— and fur thick with thistles. Despite the rugged appearance, the cat was plump, like a furry, black loaf of bread.

She flicked her hand, hoping to scare the cat off of her luggage. "Go away," Saniya scolded. "Shoo."

"Liho," Natasha cooed. With only an outstretched hand, the cat leaped into her arms. Natasha tutted at the animal. "We'll have to get you cleaned up, won't we? Hasn't Signora Arlotti been taking care of you?"

The two rocked back and forth, similar to a mother lulling a child to sleep. Clint pulled his archery equipment from the trunk, allowing Saniya to yank hers. He reached out to pet the cat. Liho's eyes widened to an almost feral expression and hissed, crawling on Natasha's shoulders. He dropped his hand and continued pulling bags out of the trunk.

"Damn cat never liked me," he muttered under his breath.

After seeing its reaction to Clint, Marsha stayed five feet away at all times. The two sisters and Clint dragged the bags to the gate while Natasha turned the numbers on the lock, Liho balancing on her shoulders and glaring back at them. Saniya stuck out her tongue at the cat while Natasha wasn't watching.

The bags were dropped roughly to the floor when they entered the house. Saniya wrinkled her nose. It smelt like her neighbor's house: old people. Looking past the smell, it was a pleasant room. House plants, ranging from small cacti to ferns overflowing in pots were displayed on all free surfaces. A lonely couch sat in the middle of the room, looking out at the garden. Some black and white photos were hung on the walls, but many were faded by the sun.

"Signora?" Natasha called out.

From the back of the small house was a shuffling of slippers. An old woman, who had to be well in her eighties, lit up with joy at the sight of Natasha. The gentle valleys on her face deepened into Mariana Trenches as her lips curved into a Thor-worthy smile. " _Natalia_!" She pulled the assassin in for a warm embrace, touching their cheeks together. Her elderly eyes fell on Clint with the same openness she showed Natasha. " _E Cleto!_ "

In a manner that had Saniya wondering if she had a stroke, all three of them spoke in rapid Italian. Even Marsha, who proudly proclaimed that her aunt was fluent in Italian and taught her some, was completely lost.

Signora Arlotti straightened her nightgown with frail, veiny hands. The sweet old lady beamed at Saniya and Marsha. " _Come si chiama?_ "

There was a spark of excitement in Marsha's eyes. She understood what the woman was saying now, at least. " _Il_ mio _nome è Marsha. Il nome di mia_ sorella _è Saniya_ ," she answered.

Though Saniya did not know a single word in Italian, she knew that Marsha butchered the pronunciation. Clint smothered an amused laugh at her broken Italian while Signora Arlotti simply smiled. She glanced at Natasha. " _Americanas?_ "

A full-bellied laugh came out of the assassin's mouth. " _Sì, Signora_." Liho gracefully dropped to the ground and rubbed itself against her legs.

She frowned, nudging Marsha discretely. "Did she just call us Americans?"

Her sister nodded with some hesitance. "I think so."

Saniya scoffed under her breath. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"She's right, isn't she?" Marsha whispered back. Fair enough.

Signora Arlotti turned to pat their cheeks as if they were grandchildren who didn't visit often. " _Benvenuta a Italia!_ "

Saniya smiled back, because what else was there to do when someone was talking to you in a language you didn't understand? "Gracias," she replied.

Marsha giggled. "Saniya, that's Spanish. Thank you in Italian is _grazie_."

She picked up her bag before the devil cat could walk on it again. Liho glared at her as if moving the bag was a great crime. "It was close enough," she defended. "So, what's the sleeping arrangement here?"

Clint pointed towards the couch. "There's your guys' bed." Her lips curled at the small couch. It would be too small for a child, let alone two adults. He rolled his eyes. "Don't be that way. It's a pull-out."

"That's... better. What about you and Natasha?"

"We have our own room next to Signora's."

Marsha placed her bag on the couch when Signora Arlotti, Liho, and Natasha left for a walk around the garden. Their chatter grew quieter with each passing second. She opened her mouth, glancing at the two through the window, then closed it. Chances were, the same question was on both of their minds, but she was too polite to ask.

Saniya, though, was blunter and not afraid to offend in this case.

"Is Signora Arlotti her grandma or something? Who is she?"

Clint shrugged. "No idea, but I know she's not Nat's grandma. She doesn't have any family." He pulled the cushions off of the couch and stacked them in a neat pile. "Signora takes care of the place while Nat is away. That's all I know."

Marsha watched as Clint pulled the spring bed out of the couch. He struggled in keeping the bed parallel to the ground. "Where's _Signore_ Arlotti? Is there one?" she asked.

"Never seen him," he replied. Clint glanced over his shoulder. "He's probably dead. Don't ask her about what really happened to him, though."

She tugged at her sleeves until they completely covered her hands. Even in the humid Mediterranean air, Marsha covered herself like a turtle with a shell. "Why not?"

"Because she has a gooey center like you. I don't want to be partly responsible for making her cry." Clint placed his hands on his hips and sucked in a deep breath. "Italy is the _best_."

* * *

Saniya could see why Clint was so excited about being in Italy. The cliff the house was on was extraordinary. In all honesty, she had jumped from prettier places, but there was a particular magic to this one. The land was alive, the feeling of it ran up her legs and tickled her stomach. And when she closed her eyes, the earth breathed under her body.

She was one hundred percent sure Clint hadn't felt what she was. He didn't seem as fascinated with the tingling grass or flowers that almost seemed to sing. He just liked the view of the town and clean air, which she had to admit was refreshing from the city.

Marsha ran her hands in the grass, rolling her shoulders as she did so. "Do you..." she let her question hang in the air, glancing over at Natasha and Clint.

Saniya nodded. With a sigh, she fell back on the plush grass. "It feels so nice," she sighed.

Signora Arlotti was sitting in a lawn chair barefoot. She ran her foot back and forth on the grass, similar to how Marsha and Saniya were. When she noticed Saniya watching, the elderly woman smiled and nodded, like she understood what they were feeling.

There was a faint buzzing in her ear. Saniya swatted around her head, expecting a bee, but there was only air.

"Witch."

Marsha paused halfway through a stroke of the earth. "What did you say?"

Saniya turned her head. "I didn't say anything," she answered honestly.

"I thought you said witch."

She frowned. She was pretty sure she would have noticed if she said something. "I didn't say anything." Marsha frowned but didn't press any further. She wasn't one to push anything.

It had been a peaceful fews hours since they arrived. They had done nothing but relax. She was afraid Natasha and Clint would immediately work on the mission, but she had Signora Arlotti to thank for the lack of action. Whenever Natasha said anything along the lines of work, Signora Arlotti distracted them with another conversation.

Her peace was bound to be broken soon, though. It was only a matter of time before she would be forced to watch Natasha and Clint hunt someone down like a wild animal. Saniya wasn't particularly excited for that. She'd prefer sitting on the cliff. Or better yet, jumping off of it.

She caught Marsha's sad frown out of the corner of her eye. Marsha's peace was broken a long time ago and she was struggling to find it again. It was a surprise she got the woman to come to Italy, let alone leave their room. The past few days... weeks... had been rough for her. Not a single night passed that there wasn't at least a tiny sniffle before she fell asleep.

Marsha did well to hide her sadness behind a smile all day, or maybe she forgot about everything when she was around others. But when she was alone at night, the thoughts couldn't be kept at bay. Either way, Saniya admired Marsha for being stronger than she would have been in that situation.

"Are you okay?" she asked, picking grass out of her dark hair.

Though her bottom lip trembled, Marsha didn't show too much emotion. Over the short time she knew Natasha, Marsha had learned a thing or two about making a mask. "I'll never be okay," she admitted, "but I don't feel as bad as I did yesterday."

She propped herself on her elbows. "Do you want to talk about it?" she offered.

Marsha nodded with zero hesitation. "Yes, I really do." She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed away any moisture that was forming. "But it's going to hurt too much if I do. I'm not ready."

"Promise to talk about you parents when you are?"

"I promise." Marsha rolled back on the grass, lying on her back like Saniya. In an act of pure innocence that brought back memories so faint she wasn't sure they were real, Marsha held her hand. "Signora Arlotti had a sister too."

"What? Did she tell you that or something?"

Her head shook in a motion that would have been missed if Saniya wasn't paying attention. "No. I saw a picture back in the house. She had a twin sister."

Saniya shrugged.

The clouds were so fluffy and calming to watch. Maybe if she closed her eyes for a while...

" _Non di più, per favore. Dobbiamo lavorare!_ " Clint cried out as Signora Arlotti tried to press another beverage on him. The archer held his hands up and backed away.

She covered her eyes with her arm. "What's happening now?"

"I think you have to work now," Marsha translated. Her grip around her hand tightened a fraction then she released.

Saniya groaned out a long 'no' that lasted for a good five seconds. Natasha then told Signora Arlotti something with words too fast to be any sort of language. Marsha scrunched her face as she struggled to follow along.

"And I think I'm staying here with Signora."

That caused another long groan to be released. "Ugh, you get to stay here with the magic garden and I don't? This is not fair at all!" Clint yelled her name from the house at a volume that would be impossible to pretend she didn't hear. "Coming!" she screeched back in response.

Getting up from the ground was harder than expected, but she managed to follow the assassins into the house. Natasha, already ready with a small sports bag on her back, twirled the keys around her finger. Clint, without asking permission, wrapped a belt harness around Saniya's waist. Then, he took one of Natasha's leather jackets off a rack and made her wear it.

"It's so hot, though," she complained.

"I know, but you'll need it to hide this." He held up a gun and slipped it in the harness. Saniya stared wide-eyed at the weapon stuck to her waist.

The keys stilled in Natasha's hands. "Stop that. Clint taught you how to use it."

"Yeah, but not well," she protested. As a testament to her lack of skill, Clint nodded in agreement.

She shrugged. "At least you know how to not shoot yourself with it." Natasha sighed. "It's just a precaution."

Clint opened the front door, breathing in the Italian air. "Let's go. We got a sighting in Tolmezzo a while ago and we can't lose the scent."

Natasha strutted out first, hips swaying side to side. "You make us sound like dogs," she teased.

Clint threw back his head and howled. He poked Saniya's shoulder as Natasha rolled her eyes. "Howl with me!"

 _Eh, what the hell_. In a clash of notes that would make any musician convulse, they howled at the sky. Though she fully intended to be a thorn in their sides the entire trip, she grinned as Clint patted her head.

Clint shook his head at Natasha's retreating form. "Howl for us once, babe. Even Saniya did it and she's been Ms. Pouty-face this entire time." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Natasha was breathtaking when her smile was real. Saniya immediately understood why Marsha became flustered any time the assassin came near her. And based on the lopsided grin on Clint's face, he was just as love-struck as her sister.

"I'm not howling," she replied.

Saniya crossed her arms. "I'm not getting in that car until you do," she decided.

Natasha scowled. "I can force you to."

Clint shook her shoulder. "Nah, not when I'm here to protect Sani." He smirked. "It can be a little howl, nothing fancy," he compromised.

She glanced around at her surroundings. Nobody was there to hear her. The assassin gave a resigned sigh then turned her head to the sky. The 'howl', if one could call it that, lasted for one second and was more like singing than a release of primal energy.

"There. Are you two done being idiots now?"

Clint shrugged. "I'm done. How about you?" he asked Saniya.

She began to make her way to the car. "I'm good for now."

* * *

Murders. So many murders.

After hearing a watered-down version of why they were in Italy, she regretted coming. Searching for the woman only seemed like inviting trouble, and that was something she didn't want to do. That wasn't right... inviting trouble could be fun in some situations, but this was reckless. This wasn't something she could quickly erase by using her abilities. This was a one-way ticket to getting her own personal grave.

She felt scared. The same fear she felt when she experienced her first and last police raid on the chop shop that pulled her out of poverty. It was the same crippling fear she felt when she realized she didn't want to get married so young. The same fear of when she came face to face with the Hulk...

No. She took that last thought back. That wasn't the same kind of fear.

There was a difference between the type of fear she felt for this and the Hulk. This fear made her want to leave and never return. When she thought about the Hulk and recalled how scared she was, well, it made her excited to overcome. One motivated her to be braver while the other made her want to run away.

Saniya tried to explain why she felt two different types of fears. It was confusing to separate the two from one another, let alone come up with an explanation. The only thing she could come up with was that this woman, who killed all those people, didn't mean anything to her. She was just a nameless killer. The Hulk was completely different territory. He was Bruce. He... was something different.

This whole trip could not be spent with her being philosophical about the Hulk. She struggled to get her mind back on track.

She cleared her throat. "So I'm not actually going to help you guys chase this girl down, right?" Her foot tapped against the seat in front of her.

Clint raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you wanna?"

"No!" Natasha smirked at her outburst. "I really don't want to be anywhere near her."

Natasha pulled out a folded piece of paper from her bag and handed it to Saniya. It was a list in painstakingly neat cursive. Each word was written in Italian.

"The boy who usually brings Signora Arlotti groceries is sick with a cold. You can shop while we look for the target."

Saniya was very offended.

" _What_?" she snapped. "You bring me to Italy, telling me that I have to and that it will be a good way to get experience for SHIELD, then you have me get groceries? I did not come to Italy to buy bananas!"

Clint coughed in a bad attempt to hide a laugh. The same feeling of when she knew she was being purposefully egged on, making her cheeks burn a deep scarlet. "It's either this or help us bring down the target."

Long story short, she dropped her stubbornness and chose the grocery store. They let her out at the local store with only the instructions of 'don't wander far' and 'keep your phone on'. They would only be at the hotel a couple of blocks away.

After leaving her in their dust, she took the time to properly look at the list.

 _zucchero_  
 _pane_  
 _formaggio_  
 _lattuga_

... and the list went on with words she didn't understand. This was cruelty on the more subtle level. Leaving her in a foreign country with no knowledge of the language had to be done on purpose. They were most likely laughing about it in the car, knowing that she was way out of her element.

Agent Musa would approve of this method. She would was a good opportunity to train her resourcefulness. Screw that. Saniya didn't want this trip to be an educational experience. How could she be a proper stick in the mud when she had to use all her energy in deciphering Italian?

She glanced at the grocery store. It was quaint with an open window and rows upon rows of fruits and vegetables. Saniya sighed. The odds of finding someone who spoke English were slim.

Saniya took her old flip phone and searched through her contact list. Maybe she could call Natasha and...

Her finger froze over the button. Somehow, Bruce's phone number was in her phone.

She would remember if she asked for his number. Unless she did it in her sleep —unlikely, since many had told her that her words were unintelligible when she was asleep— someone else put it there. But, not spitting on a blessing, he was the smartest person she knew. If anyone could help her out and not laugh at her distress, it was Bruce.

He picked up after the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi Bruce," she chirped in reply.

"... _Saniya? Did Tony give you my number? How did you get it?_ "

The smile that rose to her face dipped a bit. He didn't sound as welcoming as she imagined him to be. After the poor farewell and this, she was beginning to think she annoyed him. It wasn't an impossible assumption and this wasn't the first time that crossed her mind.

"I... uh..." She kicked at a stone. "I just found your number in my phone. I'll... hang up now. Sorry if I irritate you."

Before she could face further humiliation, she slammed the phone shut. Her cheeks burned. Not her smoothest moment, but it was a reflex reaction. Something in his voice made her feel like she did something wrong.

As she pushed open the door of the grocery store, she ran through every interaction with Bruce. She did push friendship on him without much regard for what he was feeling. He was too kind to say he didn't like her, so maybe all this time he was just pretending he could stand her.

She picked up a basket and began scanning labels for any of the words on the list. If luck was on her side, the words would match the stickers on the food. But as she searched the labels, she began thinking she acted prematurely with Bruce. What if he was in a bad mood, but now he thought she was weird?

Her phone began to ring, echoing Beyonce throughout the store. Before she could further embarrass herself in a foreign country, she answered.

" _Hi, this is Bruce, again_."

Bruce, being the angel he was, called back. He was so kind.

" _I'm sorry if I said anything to upset you. I truly did not mean to if I did_ ," he apologized, though it was clear he didn't understand what he was apologizing for.

Saniya was given a second chance to not seem like a freak that she knew he thought her as. She sucked in a calming breath through her nose. "Don't worry about it. I honestly don't care anymore," she lied. She threw a box of spaghetti into the basket. "How's New York? What've you been doing?" Though the scientist didn't catch it, there was the underlying question of what was more important than saying goodbye to her.

Bruce took several seconds to answer. " _Let's just say I cannot wait until you guys return. Tony's been putting all his excess energy into annoying me._ "

"What did Tony do?"

" _He won't stop talking about your butt_."

She froze halfway through the turn into the next aisle. Her head strained to look at her behind.

There was the faintest sound of Bruce struggling out an explanation. " _I didn't mean to say that._ "

She threw a box of cookies in the basket, not caring if it was on the list or not. "What has he been saying about my butt?" He didn't reply. And if she didn't check that the call was still going, she would have thought that he hung up. "Bruce!"

" _Can we forget I said anything?_ " he pleaded.

"Not until you tell me what he has been saying about me," she demanded to know. "Is it good or bad things?"

" _I mean... it's neutral._ "

She glared at the tiles with such a heat that she could melt steel beams. "In the short time I have known him, he has never been neutral about anything." Instead of using the demanding tone from before, it was time to try another approach. She had to know if Tony was insulting her butt or not. "Please tell me what he's been saying. I won't stop bugging you until you do," she said with a voice as soft as she could with her current emotions.

He sighed, a clear sign he was giving in. It was ironic that he had a side of him that was so brutal and the other that gave in at her request. " _Promise me you won't think any differently of me afterwards_."

"I saw you Hulk out and didn't think badly of you," she scoffed. "What is it?"

" _I cannot believe I'm telling you this_ ," he grumbled. " _He has been looking for security footage of all the times I... ah..._ accidentally — _that is the key word—_ _looked at your... posterior_."

It took her a second to process what he said. And when she did, she let out a little laugh. Bruce had checked her out. _Bruce had checked her out_. The action of him looking her up and down was impossible to imagine, but there was video evidence of him doing so. Hopefully Tony would make a montage because she really wanted to see these videos.

She felt like she won a million bucks. The crisis of him hating her was averted and confidence was restored. If he liked her body, then he technically liked her. It was sort of shallow, but she was willing to take it. As long as Bruce liked her in one way or another.

"So," she drawled into the phone, "did you enjoy the view?"

Bruce choked a little.

He was saved from her question when someone in a green apron started speaking to her in Italian. She blankly stared back. "You know what, just text me the answer. I have to figure out how to communicate with someone from another country, so I can't have to go." With one hand, she closed her phone and slipped it in the jacket pocket.

"Marco," she said, referencing to his name tag. The worker stopped talking and stood at attention. "English?" she tried.

Marco was her new knight in shiny armor, filling the role as 'Italian Jarvis'. He lifted his thumb and pointer finger in the sign for 'a tiny bit'. "I know little English." Though his accent was very different from hers, at least they were speaking the same language.

She was tempted to hug the teenager. Saniya showed him the list of food she needed to find. "Do you know where I can find all this? I have no idea what these things are and I'm incredibly lost." Marco looked at her like she just tore off her shirt and an alien sprouted from her chest. Though, that reaction was fair. He said he knew a little, but she still sprayed him with a fire hose of words. "Sorry. Where are these?"

He seemed to understand that because he took the list and gestured for her to follow him. Within fifteen minutes, they found everything she needed. Well, she assumed it was everything, but she had no way of knowing it wasn't.

Marco helped her pay with the credit card Clint slipped her and placed everything in a nice paper bag. He even taught her what zucchini was in Italian. She'd give him a ten out of ten if she could rate the store's employees.

Overall, the trip to the grocery store couldn't have lasted more than a half hour. Natasha and Clint never specified when they would return so she waited for them on a bench outside the store. Marco gave her weird looks through the window every couple of minutes, but he didn't bother her. She sort of wished he would. She didn't want to sit alone.

Her phone vibrated. It was a text from Bruce with one word: _yes_.

He liked her butt.

It was official. They were on flirting terms. Now, all she had to do was be super sweet then ask him out of coffee. Then they would go out several more times before...

...before what? She came to the brutal realization that she wanted a long term relationship. Seducing a man for a good time wasn't hard, but having one stick around for months or years was a different game. It didn't help that the only 'serious' relationship she had was to avoid getting married. But that ended after she no longer needed to trick her parents.

Most of the men she dated didn't last more than two months, and more of their time was spent in bed rather than getting to know each other. She was happy with that lifestyle because at the time she wasn't interested in a committed relationship. There was no need to when she was content not being tied down. Her dating was about sexual satisfaction rather than finding her better half.

And the few men she was willing to seriously date didn't return those feelings, leaving her with a slightly bruised ego and a lack of experience compared to Bruce. He was considerably older than her. He had to have tons of experience dating women, despite his dorkiness. Just like this whole trip to Italy, she was in unfamiliar territory.

There was a roar of a car, interrupting her thoughts. It barreled down the street, much faster than the speed limit.

"What the..." she whispered as it skidded past. She blinked. That was the car they drove here in. What were Clint and Natasha doing?

Several seconds after the car, the earth shook with an unnatural tremor. Beyond the rooftops of the shops, a fiery blast filled the air, shooting debris and flames into the sky. She could hear the screams of a child from several blocks away. A thick column of smoke rose in an ominous cloud.

Beyonce filled the air, but she couldn't tear her eyes off the smoke. Marco and several other grocery workers stood outside with their mouths agape. The song stopped, then started again a second later.

Her fingers fumbled for her phone. "Hello?" she answered meekly.

" _Where are you!_ "

"N-Natasha? What just happened?"

The assassin was running. Her breath was labored and her words were not as smooth as they usually were. " _Are you still at the grocery store?_ "

"Yes, but—"

" _Our car was stolen but SHIELD is sending another. Don't move!_ "

Saniya blinked herself out of shock. So the car that passed her must had been theirs. "Do we need a car now?"

" _Yes!_ " Natasha growled.

She nodded. This was an emergency. "I'll have a car by the time you get here."

" _Saniya—_ "

Before she could begin her protest, Saniya shifted into action. She grabbed Marco by the shoulder. "Do you have a toolbox?" she asked slowly. He just blinked, face white with horror at the sight of the explosion. "Marco! Tools! Do you have any?"

He nodded then ran back inside. Marco came back out with a box with basic tools. Though he should have, he didn't ask any questions, instead standing with his co-workers in confusion. Saniya twisted the hammer in her hand and ran to the side of the building. There, a line of cars was waiting for her to pick her first victim in several years.

Choosing the right car brought back memories. She'd only done this twice, but it was all vivid in her mind.

 _"And ya just jiggle it around like this and WHAM! Car started," Greg hollered as the car older than her parents roared to life. He draped his large hands over her thighs, slowly inching up. "What da'ya say? Wanna stop workin' in the shop and jack some cars with me?"_

 _She rolled her back, pushing her chest forward. Despite her suggestive posture, she pushed his hands away from her legs. "Ask me again when I know something more than jamming a screwdriver into the ignition," she said._

 _He wiggled his finger with a dangerous gleam in his eye. "Then Toots, you're really going to like what I've got to show you." Greg planted a sloppy kiss on her lips._

 _That day she helped him steal a car right out of someone's driveway. He showed her how to get a car started with only a screwdriver and pliers. In return, she took apart a truck and scraped off the serial numbers._

The memories of Greg were mostly surrounding sex and money. The entire foundation of their short-lived relationship was built off it. But the most important thing she learned from their time together was how to be a successful criminal. She had lived an honest life ever since they broke up, but there was no shame in putting that knowledge to good use.

She removed her jacket and wrapped it around her hand. _There was no going back now_ , she thought as she swung the hammer through the car window. Immediately, the car alarm blared, bouncing off the buildings. She hoped everyone was too preoccupied with the explosion to notice.

Avoiding broken glass, she unlocked the door. Saniya fought to recall all the instructions the Greg gave her. She remembered his exact instructions in how to take apart an engine, but how to hot wire a care was a blurry memory. That was frustrating.

With no regard for the damage it would cause to the car, she jammed a flathead screwdriver in the ignition. She twisted the screwdriver like she would with a key.

Nothing happened.

"Crap. I really thought that would work," she hissed. It was an old car, but not old enough for that specific trick to work. Saniya huffed violently. Everything got slightly more complicated. "Plan B."

She ducked her head low and removed the screws in the steering wheel console. As soon as it was removed, she threw it out of the car. A set of wires sat before her.

"Oh no. Red or brown first?" she muttered under her breath. Her memory was failing her, so she picked the wires at random.

Since the first set of wires didn't shock her, she assumed those were the right ones. As she twisted the stripped ends together, the dashboard lights flashed on.

Next, she moved to the brown wires, stripping and tapping them together. The piece of junk vibrated with life, congratulating Saniya on not being a failure.

"I'm the best!" she yelled and pumped her fist.

Safety first. She buckled herself then floored it. Not even a minute later, she spotted Natasha and Clint running down the street. Clint looked funny running with a bow and quiver on his back. It was so out of place next to Natasha with two large guns strapped to her waist.

Swerving into oncoming traffic, she parked against the curb,

Clint stared at the car then at her. "I'm so confused about what's happening here," he confessed. He was looking at her in a new light, almost like a proud father.

Natasha opened the passenger side door. "It's not confusing. She stole a car." Clint shrugged and got in the backseat. Legality wasn't much of an issue at the moment. "You know how to drive fast?"

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't work in a chop shop for two years and _not_ learn how to drive cars fast."

The agent was as professional as ever. "Great, because we're losing the signal of our car." She held up her phone with a moving dot on a map. There were steadily longer intervals between each blink.

Before they had a chance putting on their seatbelts, she stomped the gas pedal.

* * *

 **As I was reading through the chapter, I realized that her skill of hot-wiring sort of came out of nowhere. There were hints in past chapters about wanting to be a mechanic and knowing someone from a chop shop. They were tiny clues that I'm not sure if anyone but me caught. If anyone wants, I can find where each of those are so you can look back.**

 **Don't forget to review/favorite/follow! xoxo**


	18. Chapter 17

**We're one person away from one hundred followers! WHOO! Thank you everyone for your support, whether you've been a silent lurker or have followed/favorited/reviewed. You all rock!**

 **Katie Moon: I'm glad you liked the action! There's more in this chapter!**

 **Sad rad fish: I'm glad you liked it! I tried to make it as realistic as possible**

 **Kirokat: Thor is a giant teddy bear and that's the only way I'll see him haha. And yeah, Saniya definitely warms up to Bruce. You're right, he's too adorable to be stalker bait haha.**

* * *

"Slow down, slow down, slow down, FOR GOD'S SAKE SLOW DOWN!"

The car whipped around the bend, moving closer to the red dot on the phone. Clint and Saniya screamed at the top of their lungs as the vehicle teetered on its wheels. Natasha clenched her fist around the door handle. She closed her eyes until the car was steady again.

Saniya slammed the gas pedal down again, zooming past an elderly couple.

"CAR!"

She swerved just in time. The green station wagon blared its horn and Saniya stuck up her middle finger.

Clint gripped his seat belt with white knuckles. His face turned pale when Natasha told Saniya to make another turn. Everything in the car shifted dangerously to the right.

"TREE!"

Saniya resisted smacking him. "I SEE IT!" she yelled back.

The car straightened itself out and sped down the narrow street. Natasha's phone made a loud beep. They were getting closer. The assassin, not as overtly perturbed with Saniya's driving, reloaded her guns.

"Where am I dropping you guys off?" Saniya asked, forcing her voice calmer than before.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You're not. Keep driving."

For the first time in the whole car chase, she hit the brakes. Clint smacked into the back of her seat. Saniya shook her head. "I'm not getting anywhere near this woman," she protested.

Clint rubbed his forehead. "She's getting away. Pedal to the metal!"

The car remained at a full stop. Her heart, which was supposed to be in her chest, rose into her throat, almost strangling her. "No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!" She cupped her face in her hands. "I don't want to! This whole thing freaks me out."

Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder. "We need your help," she said softly. "You'll be a hero if you do this."

Her nails dug into the steering wheel. "I don't want to be a hero," she whined. "I just want to be alive!"

The hand on her shoulder tightened as a reminder of the dangerous situation they were in. "She won't get near you," Natasha said, grinding her teeth a little. "Clint and I will blow out her tires, she'll stop, then we'll take her down. You can stay in the car the entire time. She won't get away this time."

Saniya removed her hands, staring at her with wide eyes. "This time? She beat you guys in the hotel, didn't she? What if she does it again?" The assassin, the _Black Widow_ , lost against this woman. If Saniya went against her, there would be no chance for survival. And if the best of the best couldn't beat her, she doubted anyone could. Saniya almost put the car in reverse.

Natasha pulled her closer by the collar of her shirt. The fabric dug into the soft skin of her neck. "She had surprise and a bomb on her side. We have to upper hand now." The steel in her eyes only grew more determined. "People will get hurt if we don't stop her now."

Clint nodded. "We'll keep you safe."

And, as bad as it felt to admit it, that was the only thing that mattered to her. Not the people the woman might hurt next but that she was safe.

But Clint wasn't Bruce. She couldn't believe everything he said. There wasn't the trust that every word that came out of his mouth was the truth. They were spies; their job was to lie. If it was a lie, it was an effective one. Saniya wasn't sure if was making a horrible mistake.

She slammed the gas pedal, almost smirking at the thump of Natasha catching her body against the dashboard. The assassin glared but didn't say anything.

The next couple of turns were spent in eerie silence. Clint did a remarkably good job at keeping his yells at a minimum, only sometimes pointing out when she should brake. Then she spotted the car driving normally through the streets. If she didn't remember what their car looked like, she would have suspected nothing.

Natasha leaned out the window and fired her gun. She swore in Russian as the bullet missed its mark. The black vehicle began to speed up. Saniya struggled between keeping the car steady and matching the other car's speed.

Clint leaned out his window. "Let the marksman work his magic," he bragged. Staying true to his name, Hawkeye nailed the back two tires with his arrows.

His arrows snapped as the car continued driving, but his quality arrowhead stayed embedded in the tire. A second later, the arrowhead flashed red and exploded in a puff of smoke. The rubber began to peel off in chunks. Immediately, the person in the other car jerked their steering wheel. The car skid across the pavement, right into a large tree with a sickening crunch.

Saniya brought the car to a stop. Before they were completely braked, though, Natasha and Clint jumped from the vehicle. The woman behind the murders burst from the wrecked vehicle with a machine gun, unfazed by the crash. Saniya ducked in her seat as far as she could go.

Suddenly, there was the rhythmic sound of bullets shooting from the machine gun. The windows shattered into shards of glass over Saniya's head.

There was a long moment of silence. _Natasha and Clint were dead. What was she going to do now?_

"Cut her off!" Clint yelled to Nat.

"Got it!"

Her hand flew to her heart. Okay, so they weren't dead like she previously thought. Their footsteps grew fainter until she could no longer hear their shoes slap against pavement. Saniya risked a peek to see a red blur disappear in the forest.

The weight of her gun on her waist made her realize that she wasn't as helpless as she led herself to believe. She placed it on the seat next to her, staring at it. She could help out. She had the weapon for it. Steve would if he were her. He was a hero, and she obviously wasn't since she wasn't rushing to bring down one of the worst criminals in Europe.

Then again, it was unfair to compare herself to an Avenger. But considering the profession she was forced into, maybe she needed to be more heroic.

She clasped her hands together and looked towards the sky. "Thor? I don't know if you're listening, but I might be murdered today. If I am, can you give me a cool Asgardian funeral? Only you, Marsha, and Bruce are invited." She paused for a moment. "Maybe Natasha and Clint too, depending on if it's their fault I'm killed or not." Saniya looked at the sky watching for... something, anything to show that her best friend had heard her. Nothing. Not even the slightest flicker of lightning.

All alone.

There was an uncomfortable shift in her thoughts. Being left alone in Stark tower and stranded in the middle of a street were completely different things. If Natasha and Clint were killed, then she would truly be alone.

Alone, alone, alone, alone.

Why was she so worried about them? They were trained for these sort of situations. Despite knowing this, her mind clouded her with thoughts of being alone, not only with a murderer but unable to find her way back to her sister and friends. She needed Natasha and Clint, and she'd be damned if they were killed.

In an act of pure stupidity, which was becoming more common to her dismay, she took the safety off her gun and dashed into the woods.

She decided that she would only make sure they were okay. Capturing this cross-continent murderer was the last thing on her priority list.

Clint had taught her a bit about guns. She was nowhere near pro-status, but she enough to get by. Saniya knew to stay low and keep her gun in front of her, but that was common sense. Her eyes jumped to any sort of movement, prepared to blow its head off.

 _"You're a warrior, Lady Saniya. You can defeat any threat that comes your way."_

Even in his absence, Thor managed to comfort her. And if a Norse god had faith in her, she should believe in herself a tiny bit more than she did.

There was a feminine cry of pain and Saniya burst into a run. Her collar bone stung like it was pricked by a needle.

The three of them were in a clearing of farmland. Natasha was crouched behind a wheelbarrow and Clint behind a small stone wall. A woman with long black hair returned fire from behind a wide tree. There was bright red blood on her hands and a long streak going down on the front of her shirt.

Saniya met her eyes and froze. Even from the long distance, they were pitch black like two holes. She screamed as the woman raised the machine gun in her direction and pulled the trigger.

Everything froze, her scream nearly tangible in the still air. A round of bullets sat in the air, red hot and inches from her body. The space between her rib cage fluttered violently, knocking against organs. It was a tug, much like when she jumped off buildings, but was continuous and pulling on her bones like a rabid dog.

She tripped as she moved out of the way. The second she face-planted in the dirt, the bullets whizzed past. The woman's anguished bellow was enough motivation to make her dive over the wall Clint was hiding behind. Immediately, she curled into a tight ball.

This was exactly why she didn't want to leave the car in the first place.

Clint gripped her shoulder. When she didn't react, he shook her whole body. She forced herself to look up at him. "Are you shot?"

Saniya shook her head slightly, still in shock from what happened.

He furrowed his brows. "Don't freeze up on me. Let me check."

"I said I wasn't," she said with a bit of bite behind her words, but she put Clint's mind at ease by untangling her limbs to reveal an unbloodied body.

"Barton!" Natasha shouted.

"She's fine!" he replied. "Just shaken up!"

"That wasn't what I was yelling about! She's running!"

The woman was sprinting into the woods with a quick glance at Saniya, her eyes not quite as coal black as before. Clint swore and ran after her, Natasha close behind. Learning from her mistakes, Saniya stayed behind.

 _I am such an idiot. What was I thinking running after them?_

She rose slowly. Her whole body shook. She almost died, all because she was too afraid of being alone. How pathetic was that? She didn't even have an honorable reason for running into the woods, like protecting innocents or to bring down the mighty hammer of justice. No, she just didn't want to be alone. The worst part about all this was that she didn't help Natasha and Clint one bit. She just made a fool of herself.

The walk back was at a much slower pace with the same amount of paranoia. Several squirrels came close to being blown into pieces whenever she heard the slightest noise.

Hidden underneath some branches and between a dense set of trees was a car. Seeing it in the first place was a miracle, especially for her. Its metal was a dull black and had a thin layer of dirt, but there wasn't a single scratch to be seen. To waste some time, Saniya walked over to the vehicle.

She tried the door handle and it flew open. Saniya sat in the driver's seat. The leather seat was cool under her body. Right as she was about to pull down the visor on the car, she crinkled her nose. It smelt like something was rotting.

Saniya glanced in the back seat. There was nothing but a suitcase of clothes, reminding her that this was someone else's car. She almost gagged from the scent oozing from the back of the car. It really smelt like a dead body.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she opened the trunk. The scream she let loose —though not as impressive as when the machine gun shot at her— tore through her throat like nails. In the trunk was a man staring at her with glassy eyes.

This was the second of many corpses she would see.

Seeing the mangled man with bugs digging into his rotten flesh brought back the memory of Christopher putting a bullet between Natasha's eyes. Sure, her death was only temporary, but Saniya remembered her laying on the floor, void of life.

 _No matter how good you are, you can be killed._

This man was murdered by someone. The spray of blood across the felt was evidence of that. Natasha was killed by someone even though she is one of the most skilled spies in the world. Saniya would be killed, given her newfound career path, it was bound to happen that way.

And with this new truth, she hastily made her way to the woods with a tight grip on her gun. There was no more shooting, just Clint letting out a string of swears. She found out the reason when she came to the road and saw the car they arrived in not there anymore.

Whoops. She was pretty sure she left it running, giving the woman a perfect escape.

Natasha removed the phone from the side of her head. "I rerouted the SHIELD car to our new location. We'll have one in twenty minutes."

Clint scowled. "We had her. We almost had her. Damn girl is fast."

Saniya placed her gun back in its holster. There was no need for it anymore. She pointed towards the woods. "There's a body back there," she said, though not sure what she expected the agents to do.

"Did _she_ do it?" Clint asked.

"What? How am I supposed to know if that crazy person killed him? It looks... old if that means anything."

Natasha sighed with an air of frustration to her elegant form. "I suppose we have time before the car arrives."

They followed her back to the spot where she saw the car and the body. She was still in a daze from what she saw, but she was slowly regaining her grip on reality. This man needed to be put to rest somewhere other than a trunk. Preferably a graveyard. And since she was the one to find him, it was part of her duty to do so. Natasha and Clint would know what to do next. They could contact Italian officials and find his family. She was sure they could do so with the connections they had.

All her hopes were crushed when Clint stood before it with his hands on his hips. "Yep. That's a dead body." He tapped Natasha on the arm. "Let's go."

"What?" Saniya exclaimed. She slammed her hand on the hood of the car. "Aren't you going to do anything about him?"

Natasha's eyes flickered between the trunk and her. "Saniya, what do you want us to do?"

"Call someone! ID him!" She stomped her foot. "Don't just walk away!"

Clint folded his arms. "We came to track that woman and we need to finish our job. We'll call the Italian officials when we get back to the house." His head tilted. "You know, he's not going anywhere. He can wait until we get back to Nat's safehouse."

Saniya faltered. "I... you're right," she begrudgingly conceded. Saniya dragged her foot in a circle in front of her. "I'd feel better if you called them now."

Natasha and Clint shared a look before she shrugged. "I'll call," she volunteered. Because there was better phone service on the road, she left Clint and Saniya alone with the car.

Saniya stared at the back of the trunk. The metal door was lifted up, blocking her view of the body, thankfully. She'd puke if she saw him again.

She didn't want to leave him, the body, alone. It felt wrong, considering how long he had been in the trunk. He was dead and by himself, something Saniya almost was today. She sympathized with him, strangely seeing herself in the pile of decaying flesh and bones. Someday, when she was in his place, she'd want someone to take care of her body. Maybe helping this guy out would give her good karma to ensure she wouldn't be left to rot in the middle of nowhere.

Clint tapped the hood of the car. "So, you think you'd be able to get this beauty started Grand Theft Auto style? Maybe we can still catch up to her."

Her hands found their way into her jacket as she shrugged. "Newer cars are harder to hot wire. I'm not good enough."

"Doesn't hurt to try." Her eyes drifted back to the trunk. Clint placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about him right now. Just, come on."

He got in the passenger and let out a low whistle. His hands ran appreciatively along the leather and dashboard. Saniya was not so eager to get in the car because chances were it belonged to the person in the trunk. Still, she sat on the leather with her body folded in on herself as much as she could. The less she touched, the cleaner she felt.

"Look for some keys," she told him. "Once I start cutting wires, there's no going back."

Clint popped open the glove compartment while Saniya flipped down the visor. A small strip of paper fluttered down.

"What's that?"

Saniya folded it neatly and slipped it in her pocket. _He didn't care much for the man in the trunk, not like she did. He didn't deserve to see it_. "Paper," she replied with a clipped tone.

Clint moved his search to the back seat, opening a suitcase and ruffling through clothes. It struck her odd as he pulled out a bra and set it behind him, but she had no right to judge the dead man's lifestyle. She bent down to look under the seat. Stacked on top of each other were a bunch of letters stored in separate envelopes.

It was hypocritical for her to steal them since only moments ago she thought she was trespassing by getting in the man's car. But, she was curious. If she was honest about herself, she was acting almost obsessive with the man. Bruce would classify this as her reacting to the shock or coping badly with the situation. But Bruce wasn't there to tell her that, so she stashed the paper and the letters in the jacket, intending to read them later.

She completely forgot about finding the keys until Clint said he couldn't find them.

"Maybe they're..." Her voice drifted off. _Maybe they're on the body_. She smacked her palms on her knees. "Eh, guess we'll have to wait for the SHIELD car. There's no way I'll be able to start up a car this new."

Clint's nose wrinkled. His thoughts were in the same place she was and he was just as displeased about the idea. "Are you... okay?"

Her eyes were burning, coming close to full out tears. All she wanted to do was go back to New York and sleep for a week.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," Clint amended. His hands were out in front of him as if he wasn't sure what to do with them.

Saniya sniffled. "It's just been such a stressful week." She dug her nails into her legs. "I know I've been a wet blanket lately. I just really hate this trip and entire situation."

The sides of his lips threatened to pull into a smile, but he stayed serious for her sake. "Trust me, you've let us know." Clint slid out of his seat and walked to her side of the car. He held out his arm like men did in old time movies when they were escorting a woman. "To be honest, bringing you along might not have been my best idea. Agent Musa wouldn't have been able to take you so you had to come with us."

She slipped her elbow around his as he pulled her to her feet. "Where is Agent Musa?"

"She trains a whole bunch of other agents so she's been busy with that." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Y'know, it might be best if you don't tell her about this whole trip. It doesn't exactly fit into her strict training schedule."

"No promises," she teased.

* * *

When they returned to the safe house, it was almost dinner time, which says a lot since the typical Italian family eats dinner around eight.

Signora Arlotti fluttered around the kitchen like a butterfly with a broken wing. It was clear that she was having trouble doing the simplest of things so Marsha took over most of the cooking. She stirred a spoon in a large pot of soup, lifting it up to Signora's lips to taste.

The elderly woman smiled with delight and said something in Italian. It had to be good because she was radiating with excitement. From what Clint and Natasha told her, Signora Arlotti didn't get visitors often

"She says that dinner's almost ready. Marsha's been a good helper," Natasha translated. Her eyes flickered to the pocket where she stashed the envelopes. Right when Saniya thought she was going to say something, Natasha joined Signora Arlotti in the kitchen.

The whole dinner was spent with Signora Arlotti, Marsha, Clint, and Natasha speaking in Italian. Saniya slurped her soup, strangely not feeling the urge of getting her fill of attention. The day's events wore her out and for once she couldn't make herself speak. Every letter in her pocket was a hundred pound weight reminding her of everything that happened.

Her stomach recoiled as a flash of the mangled body flashed before her eyes. She stood up abruptly, her chair scooting back loudly. All eyes turned to her increasingly paling face.

"Sorry, I feel... I can't eat anymore." Saniya excused herself from the table. Signora Arlotti eyed her half full bowl of soup with droopy eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to drink the rest. Natasha muttered something to the elderly woman, most likely an apology on her behalf for rushing off during dinner.

She left the house completely. And since she didn't know anywhere else to go, she sat on the cliff. The earth was suitable company here as it vibrated with life.

In the small sliver of light shining from the slide through the glass door, she pulled out the letters and slip of paper. Saniya angled the slip so she could see the dark scrawls of pen. At the top of the page was the word _bahana_.

Or was it banana? No, _bahana_ felt right, especially after she recognized the Hindi symbol next to the phonetic spelling. In the top left corner written in chicken scratches was the word 'sister'. In fact, the whole page was covered in the word 'sister' in different languages.

Saniya then tore open a letter. Then another. Then another. All of them started with 'My dearest Indali' and ended with 'Sincerely, Christopher'. Unfortunately, she couldn't snoop any further than that. Everything between the greeting and closing was written in what she assumed to be Hindi.

She nearly dropped everything off the cliff when she read the names Saniya and Aghamarshana written around the edges of some of the letters. Sometimes with English letters and others in Hindi, over and over again like a mantra.

"What the—"

"Saniya?" Marsha crept carefully up to her, wiggling her toes in the grass. Her eyes spotted the letters and the paper in her hand. "What is that?"

There was a brief moment when she considered balling it up and tossing it off the edge, but instead, she handed it to Marsha. "I found it in the woods," Saniya told her, purposefully keeping the dead body out of the explanation.

Her eyes grew wide until she shoved the paper and letters back. She wrapped her arms around her legs. "Don't try to scare me. Please don't."

Saniya showed her the letters. "I'm not, I promise." All it took was the words 'I promise' to make Marsha believe her. "They were in a car with a... man in the trunk. I thought these were his, but now I don't know. I have no idea how he could have known and I really doubt it's a coincidence."

"It could be," Marsha suggested weakly. "I don't know how common our names are in Europe, but it could happen." Her feet dragged against the carpeted earth. "Does Nat and Clint know about this?"

She frowned. "No." Marsha glanced back at the house. The assassins were close enough for her to call out and show them. "But I don't want to. I trust them —kind of— but I don't trust them to not tell SHIELD."

"But isn't SHIELD the good guy? They can help us figure this out."

Saniya held back a snort. "You don't believe that after everything SHIELD has done to us, right?" Marsha didn't answer and Saniya began feeling more scared of her sister's answer than she expected. " _Right?_ "

Her head bowed. "Natasha and Clint are a part of it, so SHIELD can't be too bad. Everything isn't black or white," she argued softly. Marsha dropped her gaze to the letters. "Do you know how to read Hindi?"

"No. I only know ten words that are not useful in this situation."

Marsha nodded. "My parents never learned even though they went on five mission trips to India. I wish they had."

Saniya saw the tremor of fear through Marsha's body. She felt it through the earth like a string attached between their bodies. Marsha was scared of what those letters meant and Saniya was too, but she was willing to do all the worrying for them both. So, she faked a smile and told a tough lie. Marsha had enough on her mind. It wasn't right to add one more thing. Besides, maybe it was a coincidence and nothing to be afraid of.

"I'm sorry." Marsha's head shot up. "I lied. I made these letters. It was a lot funnier in my head."

Her bottom lip trembled then held still. A deep frown carved its way on her face. "You really scared me," she confessed. Marsha sounded almost angry, but all frustrations hid behind her sweet forgiveness. "I forgive you, but why would you do that?"

"Because I'm a mean person who doesn't deserve to have you as a sister."

Marsha gasped. "That's not true." Her hand gripped hers. "You're not mean and you're a good sister. Just maybe... not the best sister right now for scaring me like that." She laughed nervously. "I really thought there was someone out there writing our names over and over. How creepy is that?"

"Super creepy," Saniya deadpanned. She stood up despite her body crying to lie against the magic grass. With her, she pulled Marsha to her feet. "Will you help me apologize to Signora Arlotti for skipping out on dinner?"

She nodded. "Of course. She'll understand. I spent the whole day with her and she's a very nice woman."

And so she was, forgiving Saniya almost as quickly as Marsha had. She was beginning to think that all this kindness shown to her was only temporary.

* * *

Message Sent at 11:43 PM:  
Yo, can you translate some things for me when we get back? It's in Hindi

Bruce Banner — Received at 11:47 PM:  
What sort of things?

Message Sent at 11:48 PM:  
Tell you in person. Please don't tell anyone

Bruce Banner — Received at 11:53 PM:  
Are you in trouble?

Message Sent at 11:54 PM:  
Not yet

Her phone buzzed with several texts after her mysterious message but decided it was best to be ambiguous. It wasn't that she didn't trust Bruce, it was that she didn't trust that either of their phones weren't bugged.

To keep him from worrying, she sent one last text.

Message Sent at 11:57:  
I'm fine. Clint and Natasha will keep us safe.

She felt weird. She wanted to talk to someone about the letters. Desperately.

Marsha was not an option. At least, not unless it became a bigger problem. There was no use worrying her if the letters meant nothing. She was definitely going to talk to Bruce. He was her number one choice, but she wanted to talk about it now. They couldn't do that over the phone. Clint and Natasha were an option. Valid ones, even, but she had to decide how much she didn't want SHIELD to know.

Why didn't she want SHIELD to read the letters? That was the question that flooded her mind in the last few minutes before sleep overtook her. She couldn't find a good enough answer.

* * *

Signora Arlotti ran her weathered hand down the picture of her late sister. There was an emptiness inside of her as death separated them. They were two pieces of the same puzzle; they were incomplete without the other.

She sensed the same emptiness in Saniya and Marsha. It was a feeling she knew well.

They were sleepwalking around her home. She heard their soft feet across the tile and them softly pulling at the locked doors. They were unconsciously searching for the third piece of their puzzle. It wouldn't be whole without her.

Their situations were different; she knew that. She and her sister were given their gifts from a man with dark hair and a silver tongue many years ago. Whoever gave Saniya and Marsha their gifts was not the same charming man, that much was clear. But, they were all searching for the missing piece and her heart hurt at the thought of those three being separated for much longer.

Signora Arlotti made sure Natasha and Clint's door was shut before gathering the two sisters. She waved her hand in the air and a fine green mist threaded her fingers. Lowering her elderly body, she sat on the fold-out bed.

" _Join me,_ " she whispered. The mist crept across the floor and swirled around their bodies in a ribbon. Marsha was the first to respond. Her body trudged across the floor until she sat next to Signora Arlotti on the bed.

Saniya was more hesitant. Maybe, even asleep, she wasn't so keen on blindly following instructions. But eventually she did join them, head falling forward from sleep.

Signora Arlotti raised her hands and rested them on the women's brows. The green mist permeated from her skin into theirs. " _Find your third piece. Allow yourself to search with your mind instead of body._ "

The two sisters rolled forward and they did as she told them to. They were searching with their minds and spirit, much more effective than physically searching.

Signora Arlotti grasped at the searing pain in her chest. Without her sister, she often overexerted herself. But, past the pain, she was happy for what she did and she was sure they would be too. Finally, they had a chance of becoming complete.

* * *

Saniya balanced the plates on her forearm as she carried a record number to a table. The family, intent on completely ignoring her, sat straight-backed and silent.

She placed the right plate in front of the right person. "Just shout if you need something, alright? I'll be over there."

They didn't respond. She lingered in her spot before returning back to the counter with Dorie. Her co-worker lounged on the surface with a book held up to her face. When Saniya tried to read the title, the words shifted in a jumble of incoherent words.

Yeah, this was weird.

"The family over there are really creepy," she complained. "They're freaking statues."

Dorie smacked some gum against her teeth. "They don't like you."

"Obviously," Saniya scoffed. "They acted like I wasn't even there."

"Technically you aren't," she muttered into the pages. Before she asked Dorie what she meant, she held out a pack of gum. "Want some?"

"Nah."

She shook the pack. "Take some."

Saniya raised an eyebrow. Dorie never sincerely shared her gum. The family from before turned to face her. They all had the same face: Christopher O'Neill's. Their skin was a bright blue with hand prints around their necks. Her breath caught in her throat. Just as she blinked, their faces morphed back to their own.

Dorie frowned. "Take some. I'm serious."

She leaned back. "And I said I don't want any," she replied. Saniya glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "Are you okay?"

She almost laughed at the question since she herself was clearly not okay. Hallucinations normally weren't a sign of good health. But, Dorie didn't answer and instead forced the gum into her hand. "I really want you to have some gum."

Saniya eyed it carefully. "You didn't poison it or anything, right?"

Dorie returned to her book with a sly smile. "Puh-lease. If I did that, nothing would be done here. You're the only thing keeping this restaurant running."

"More like scraping along but I'll take that compliment," she muttered.

Despite Dorie's odd behavior, she put the stick of gum in her mouth. She hopped off the counter and turned to say something to Dorie, but stopped.

She wasn't in the restaurant anymore. Instead, she was in a house that smelt of peppermint. Next to the door were over ten pairs of shoes varying from high heels to children's sneakers. The walls were lined with pictures of Marsha playing on a softball team, graduation, prom... Her entire life was on the walls, captured in the form of pictures.

Then, she heard the familiar giggle from the other room. A chorus of chatter came after that with a gruff voice overpowering them all. A child squealed and ran out of the dining room with mashed potatoes over his face. He froze when he saw her.

Suddenly, he bounced up to her and tugged on her hand. "Late, late, late," the kid sang. He, with an enormous amount of strength for a five-year-old, dragged her into the dining room.

Twelve blonde heads and one with black hair turned to them. Marsha, easy to pick out among the family, bounced from her seat. "Saniya!" She ran to her and engulfed her in a hug. "This is my family. Family, this is my sister!"

The family fell silent. Their faces turned into Christopher's, bright blue, and deep hand prints around their necks. Marsha and Saniya blinked and their faces turned back to normal, only now they were silent and refused to look at them.

"Mom?" Marsha said, waving her hand in front of her face. She didn't move or acknowledge Marsha's existence.

Saniya tugged on her sister's arms as their heads turned at the same time, exactly like in a horror movie with dolls Natasha watched on the plane. Saniya was waiting for one of their heads to fall off or say something like 'play with me'.

"I think we need to leave." Marsha stumbled as her mother stood from her chair. The other family members followed suit and pointed to the door. Without waiting for Marsha to unfreeze, she practically carried her out of the house as fast as possible. Saniya didn't stop right outside the door, instead dragging them all the way across the street.

Marsha stumbled as her mother stood from her chair. The other family members followed suit and pointed to the door. Without waiting for Marsha to unfreeze, she practically carried her out of the house as fast as possible. Saniya didn't stop right outside the door, instead dragging them all the way across the street.

Marsha shook her head frantically. "What just happened? What was wrong with them?"

"We need to call Bruce. Maybe it's like a virus or... or..."

Quickly, the answer to all their fear popped into Marsha's mind. She had watched enough television to know. "We're dreaming. We have to be," Marsha said with revelation. The terror on her face slackened to resignation. "None of this is happening."

Saniya wrinkled her nose. "I think I'd know if I was dreaming. This is not dreaming."

Marsha tugged her sleeves over her hands. "Do you remember how you got to my house because I don't remember ever leaving Italy." She rubbed at the corners of her eyes. "It's just a scary dream. We'll wake up."

"Come on, it's not a dream," Saniya insisted. "We're probably hallucinating or something. Maybe Signora Arlotti slipped us something in our soup." Marsha mustered up what was potentially a glare, but she couldn't follow through with the threatening appearance.

A car drove by, kicking up a cloud of dust. Saniya coughed as it invaded her lungs. All she could see and smell was dust. When it was clear enough to the point where it didn't collect in her lungs, she opened her eyes.

No longer were they in the middle of suburbia but in a desert. The sun was overwhelmingly hot. She felt her skin began to boil and bones melt. In the distance, a sand storm was building, kicking dust in the air at a great height.

"Okay, so maybe we're dreaming." Saniya closed her eyes, trying to make herself wake up. Nothing happened, even when she pinched herself. They were still in the desert.

Marsha tugged on her shirt. "Who's that?" she whispered. Saniya followed her gaze to a woman curled in the sand with her knees to her chest. Her beady eyes, covered by the veil of hair, stayed on them.

"Hey! Get up! There's a storm coming," Saniya yelled at her. The woman slowly lifted her head and, to her horror, it was the woman who shot a machine gun at her. A smile big enough to crack her face grew on her lips as she stood. Saniya positioned herself in front of Marsha, prepared to run at the slightest sign of trouble.

The moment she opened her mouth, Saniya knew there would be a trouble with communication. Neither Marsha or Saniya understood the words coming out of her mouth. Some were familiar from eavesdropping on her parents —adoptive parents— but there was no way in hell she knew what she was talking about.

"Do you speak English?" Marsha asked.

Saniya's grip on her arm tightened. "Don't talk to her," she hissed under her breath.

Marsha, eyes wide and innocent, stared back at her. "She seems nice."

 _She's really not_. But since there were no obvious weapons on her, she didn't pose an immediate threat.

The woman frowned. "You don't understand our language?" Her accent flooded through her English. She wasn't from the United States, that was for sure.

Marsha shook her head.

The frown grew larger. Her brown eyes flickered between Saniya and Marsha. "Do you know who I am, sisters?"

Saniya knew some of the things she had done; she knew her reputation. But when she thought about it, Natasha and Clint never told her this woman's name.

Marsha gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, we don't."

She curled her fists, her lips tightening. "You never would have forgotten if you hadn't been taken away," she cursed. Though the air was filling with dust, she inhaled deeply through her nose. "My name is Indali. I am your sister. I have been searching for you two ever since those demons stole you." The contempt in her eyes morphed into joy in the flash of a second. "You always looked past me when we came together in our dreams. Fate has allowed you to see me again."

When she moved towards them, maybe for a hug, Saniya took several large steps back, taking Marsha with her.

"You tried to kill me," Saniya spat. Marsha gasped. "You shot at me and I nearly died because you of and your stupid gun, so I'm not sure why you think I will let you close to us. Plus, I'm not buying this 'sister' thing. I can believe one sister I never knew about, but two?"

Marsha clasped her hand. Saniya felt how her fingers trembled. "I believe. I don't think Indali would lie," she defended.

She resisted the urge to snap at her. Marsha didn't deserve her anger. "We can't trust her," she gritted through her teeth. Indali's eyes darkened a shade, threatening to be the black Saniya remembered them being. "We don't know her."

Marsha bit her lip. "Yes, we do. Don't you feel it too?"

Indali nodded. "Our bodies remember each other. We came from the same mother. We share the same soul. Ever since we've been torn apart, we've been fighting to become one again."

Saniya wasn't so sure about the 'same soul' thing, but she was feeling the same way she did when she first saw Marsha. There was an instantaneous bond that both revolted Saniya and comforted her. One side was saying that this was her sister while the other couldn't get the image of the machine gun out of her mind.

She held tight to Marsha's hand, in case she got any ideas of going near Indali. "Sister or not, I'm still very angry about you trying to kill me."

Indali played with the ends of her hair. "Do you remember my eyes?"

"Yes." Very much so.

"Were they... uh..." Indali tapped her fingers on her wrist. "I cannot remember the English word. Were they like the night sky?"

Saniya tensed. "Darker."

She swore at herself for seeing the similarities between Indali and Marsha. Indali scrunched her face in the same way Marsha did whenever she was sad. "I don't remember shooting you," she admitted. "I would never hurt you, please don't leave me again!"

Turned out the fear of being alone was a family trait.

Indali didn't stop there. Her fingers were in her hair and her eyes were turning black slowly. "Christopher left me alone. Please don't ever leave me. Please, I can't..."

Marsha began to move forward, but Saniya held her back. "Christopher?" she questioned. "Christopher O'Neill? The guy who tried to kidnap me?"

Indali stopped in her jerky movements. Her eyes, coal black with a hint of brown around the pupil, locked on her. Saniya realized she had never felt true fear before peering into the depths of those eyes. The darkness was a monster living in her sister's body.

"Where is he? You know him?" Indali moved towards her at a frightening speed. This time, Marsha willingly backed away with Saniya.

Saniya couldn't tear her eyes away. "He's dead. SHIELD killed him."

With those words the dust storm overwhelmed them, they could still hear Indali's screams of anger over the wind.

* * *

Saniya jerked awake. Her hand flew to her heart. _Just a dream, just a dream..._. Then she shook sand out of her hair and what happened became real. Marsha was less dramatic with her awakening. Her eyes burst open, but she only rolled on her side and cried into her pillow. Saniya didn't need to ask to know they had the same dream.

And if Marsha was there, then it made sense for Indali to have been there too. Saniya wasn't completely ready to accept it, but in the greatest of cliches life could throw at her, there was another sister. Just what she needed. Not.

Sister or not, Indali was dangerous. Saniya didn't trust her and she prayed Marsha didn't either. Now she had to face the problem of being in the same country as her and Indali being the focus of Natasha and Clint's manhunt.

Saniya could not go searching for her in the morning. If they found her, Indali might say something that'd have SHIELD lock her and Marsha up for good. Plus, Saniya was more than a little frightened that she'd be murdered in some messed up form of sisterly love. No matter how much she whined, Clint and Natasha didn't stop their trip, so there was no way they'd let her leave now. Saniya took out her phone and scrolled to the right number.

"Sorry for throwing you under the bus, Clint," Saniya mumbled.

That morning, Saniya learned exactly how fast Agent Musa could raise hell when asked to.


	19. Chapter 18

**Hey everyone! Part 1 of Saniya's adventures are about to come to an end. I estimate maybe 3 (?) more chapters and an epilogue left. BUT I will conclude part 2 directly off of this story so you don't have to go searching through my profile for it. I'll work hard to make part 1 end amazingly! Thank you all for your support! I'm not sure I would have continued my story without you.**

 **Yuki Suou: maybe... haha. The true reason of why her eyes turn black will be revealed in one of the next five chapters**

 **CainToYourAbel: Awww thank you :) You're so sweet. Thank you so much for your nice words and for being my one-hundredth follower! This is truly amazing**

* * *

Within an hour, a SHIELD car drove up to the house and an agent told Saniya and Marsha to gather their things. There wasn't nearly enough time to explain to Clint what exactly happened and why she told on him. Suffice to say, he wasn't too happy with either of them though claiming he understood why they were scared.

They couldn't tell Natasha and Clint about the dream. It was a good enough reason for Saniya to get them out of the country, but that was because she lived through it. She felt the fear for not only hers but Marsha's life as well. Natasha and Clint wouldn't understand like Marsha and Saniya did. They probably would have called them paranoid or insane to think a dream meant anything. To avoid that completely, she told him how traumatized she was, which wasn't a complete lie.

He frowned like a disappointed father but didn't press further. She considered it safe to say that he bought her explanation.

Clint dropped her bag in the trunk with less care than before. As he turned away from the car, he almost stepped on Liho. The cat hissed, only calming down when Natasha took it in her arms.

"Clint, I didn't want to get you in trouble," Saniya said for the millionth time.

His lips pressed together. "Shame you did, then." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but quickly changed his mind. "You better get in the car. Rookie over there is getting anxious."

She looked at the man in the suit. His face was stoic and more apathetic than anxious.

"Body language is easy when you know what to look for," Natasha quietly explained, her eyes watching Saniya's face. "His arm brushes against his gun twice every seven seconds and when one of us move out of sight, he backs against the fence." Her eyes widened comically. "It's funny."

Clint picked up Marsha's bag and dropped it on Saniya's. "Like I said, anxious."

Marsha frowned. "I wonder why he's nervous."

Natasha's mouth twitched into a faint smirk. "Let's just say that SHIELD can be quite creative when it comes to containing prisoners. I'm sure he'll be more relaxed when he's further away."

Just as she said that, Signora Arlotti's face disappeared from the window. Saniya stared at the large lock on the gate. Originally she thought it was to keep unwanted visitors out, but maybe it also kept someone in.

She thought about her own 'prison' in Stark Tower. Signora Arlotti and Saniya were more alike than she realized.

The send-off, much like when they left for Italy, was pitiful. Clint hadn't bothered to wave them off. Oddly enough, it was Natasha who did that. She stood outside, not waving until the car disappeared from view. The cat glared at them through the windows, circling Natasha's legs like a guard. Saniya regretted not saying one last goodbye to Signora Arlotti. She wished it was the old woman standing outside instead of Natasha and Liho.

Then, it was the trip to Italy in reverse. Marsha didn't talk much, so Saniya did most of the talking for them, getting her quota of social interaction by striking a conversation with the flight attendants. For the last half of the trip, she was out cold. Marsha claimed she sleep walked to the bathroom and came right back to her seat, but there were no other problems than that.

Agent Musa was waiting with a car as the plane landed. Her dark blue hijab nearly blew off in the wind, but she held it down with a rough hand. As soon as the got off the plane, the agent was by their sides with a twisted frown.

She gave them both a lingering stare. "When was the last time either of you bathed?"

Saniya tugged at her bag. "We spent fourteen hours on a plane in a span of two days. Give us a break."

Agent Musa led them to a black car, similar to the one Natasha drove in Italy. When their luggage was packed and they were buckled, she sped out of the airport. Turned out Natasha and Saniya weren't the only ones who liked to drive fast.

"What Barton did was irresponsible. I was not notified that you left the country," Agent Musa said with her eyes locked on the road in front of her. A security guard lifted the gate and they were officially out of the airport.

Saniya shrugged. "It was pretty stupid of him," she scoffed. Then, she remembered the look on Clint's face when she told him she called Agent Musa. It was the face of someone who knew they were in trouble. "But I wouldn't go as far as to say irresponsible," Saniya rushed out.

Agent Musa scowled. "It was irresponsible. The first few months of training are the most important. You start forming habits and a solid foundation of fitness. Your entire schedule has been pushed back because of your escapade."

"It was just a couple of days. He didn't do much damage."

She clicked her tongue. "Not much damage is still damage. He neglected your schedule and that is uncalled for."

Saniya tapped her feet on the floor of the car. "In his defense, the whole trip was a sort of training. I mean, I learned a lot so you shouldn't talk like he ignored me completely," she retorted.

"If you think it was such a good time, perhaps I should send you back," Agent Musa said with an unnerving calmness.

"I didn't..." Saniya crossed her arms. "I didn't say that it was a good time, just that you should give him more credit."

Agent Musa humphed, in a weird, disapproving laugh. One thing was clear: Saniya screwed Clint over by calling her. She got out of Italy but at the cost of Clint's reputation. The familiar weight of guilt settled on her, but then she remembered Marsha alive and well in the backseat. It was necessary, but that didn't mean she had to like what she did.

Marsha fiddled with her seatbelt, double checking to make sure it was locked. "What... what is going to happen to him? He's not in a lot of trouble, right?"

"I have filed a formal complaint that will be reviewed by our superiors," Agent Musa told them. "It is out of my hands." Her shoulders began to sag from exhaustion. "Agent Barton will no longer be your trainer—"

"What? You can't—"

"—and he will be replaced by someone else." Agent Musa glared at the interruption. Saniya's insides recoiled under her withering gaze. "I... don't know who will train you. I am the only trainer in the area and I cannot instruct you full time, as much as I wish I could. There are several in D.C. and more than a few available on the helicarrier, but I assume you don't want to leave New York."

Saniya nodded. "I refuse to go somewhere else."

Agent Musa repressed a sigh. "And that's where the trouble comes in. I may have someone stationed in New York with open times. I'll do my best but we may have to come up with a compromise."

"Let me guess, this compromise is you getting your way with no complaints?"

"That would be ideal, but I don't want you to be miserable. I remember being a young agent and shipped a different city every month. It's an unnecessary pain." The crow's feet around her eyes crinkled. "Poor morale hinders your ability to advance in your training. I assure you that if comes to it, the compromise will be fairer than you're expecting."

Saniya risked a peek at Marsha. Her sister pointed at Agent Musa and was mouthing something. As much as she tried to make sense of what she was trying to say, Saniya was at a loss.

"What?" Saniya whispered, which didn't go unnoticed by Agent Musa.

Marsha gulped, eyes staring at the back of the hijab. "I don't understand why Clint can't train her anymore. He made a mistake and he should get a second chance."

There was a brief pause as Agent Musa tilted her head as if she was looking right at Marsha instead of a windshield. "Miss Elliot, in life, there is no such thing as second chances. You must get it right the first time or suffer the consequences."

Marsha slumped in her seat, but Saniya was willing to rise in her defense, just as she had for Clint. She crossed her arms. "That's very pessimistic," she replied. "She has a point. Give him another chance."

Agent Musa didn't bother to entertain the thought. "I prefer the term realistic, and no, she doesn't." She sighed. "Clint's time as your trainer is over."

* * *

The day had gone and left by the time Marsha and Saniya felt like they were up for doing anything. Traveling was a draining experience that they both agreed they didn't want to do again. Finally, at six in the morning, Saniya felt awake and like she could conquer the world. Marsha was sleeping peacefully at the end of the bed.

She, still in her pajamas and uncombed hair, gathered the letters she found in Italy. "Jarvis?" she whispered to the ceiling.

" _Yes, Ms. Ramakrishna?_ "

"Where's Bruce? He asleep?"

" _No. He is currently in the labs, very much awake._ "

She opened her door. He was awake. She was awake. What better time to ask him to translate some things for her? Besides, she hadn't seen him since she returned from Italy. Saniya needed to catch him up on everything that happened, and, well, she _really_ wanted to see him.

Saniya got into the elevator. "Same floor as always?"

" _Yes, but I highly recommend you wait until later. He is not in his most amiable state at the moment_."

She pressed the button despite the AI's warnings. "Nah, I think it'll be okay."

The receptionist gave her a weird look, but she supposed it wasn't so out of the ordinary to visit the labs in pajamas. She turned the letters in her hand so many times that she lost count. On the last turn, before she walked into the lab, she noticed that the lines of marker on her wrist were faded to nonexistence.

She had lost count of all the times she used her abilities. It used to be a compulsive action and it was fun seeing how many marks she had by the end of the week. Saniya couldn't remember the exact time she stopped though she was certain it was around the time she came to the tower. Well, new life meant leaving behind old habits. It was better this way. She had a feeling she would get ink poisoning if she continued with the way her life was heading.

She pushed open the lab door and froze. When Jarvis warned that Bruce wasn't in his most amiable state, she expected him to be tired and cranky. Maybe having caffeine withdrawals or being bothered by Tony. It never crossed her mind that he was angry enough to become the Hulk.

His large fists slammed on the glass enclosure named the Hulk Tank. It vibrated under his assaults but didn't shatter. The second his beady eyes landed on her, he growled and banged on the glass with more ferocity. Saniya felt like she was thrown into a frozen pond the way he was staring at her. There was so much anger in his eyes. But, this was in a controlled environment. This sort of fear only made her gape with amazement at the creature of raw strength before her. The icy water of fear was refreshing.

"Shortcake! When'd you get back from France?" Tony swiveled his chair to face her. There were two dark circles under his eyes.

Saniya took a step towards the glass. "Italy," she corrected. "We got back yesterday."

Tony placed himself between her and the glass, maybe in a way to shield her from the terror behind it. Thoughtful, but ultimately an unnecessary action. His forehead creased with concern "Maybe you should leave," he said softly.

She blinked, trying to get around him. "Why?"

"Uh." He jabbed his thumb behind him. The Hulk was only made more enraged by the movement. "Need I say more?"

Saniya twisted the letters closer to her chest and moved around the scientist. Her eyes grew wider the closer she came to the cage. The Hulk raised his fist and smashed down where she assumed her head was supposed to be.

She looked back at Tony. "Why is he in there?"

Tony watched her carefully. "I have some new projects and am measuring exactly how strong the big guy is." He backed up to his chair, always keeping her in his line of sight. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little... stunned."

A smile climbed up her face. "Hell yeah I'm stunned." She gestured to the Hulk, who, quite frankly, hated being gestured to. He snarled and paced the small cage, slamming the sides with his hands.

He raised an eyebrow. "He's very stunning, I suppose."

"Try awesome."

The Hulk stopped for a moment of testing the durability of the cage. He whipped his head towards her, face scrunched in a growl. Saniya mustered up a small wave. There was a long second of him staring at her before he huffed and grumbled to himself.

Tony regarded the Hulk with a bit of unease. But, his typical smirk returned to his face when his eyes were back on her. "So, you think the Jolly Green Giant is awesome? Gold medal to you. I thought he would've been at the top of your naughty list."

Saniya shrugged. "I mean, I think Bruce is amazing, so..."

As she watched the Hulk stomp like a toddler, she was suddenly reminded by something Thor said. He believed that Bruce and the Hulk were one person. They were like a coin with two very different sides.

She never did make her mind up on the matter, whether she agreed with Thor or not, but she decided that she didn't care. Whether they were two parts of one person or two people in one body, Bruce was always in the equation. And anything involving him, she saw in a positive light.

Even if she tried to, she couldn't stop seeing the micro-similarities between the Hulk and Bruce, which only reinforced that idea. The facial expressions, the awkward movements, they all reminded her of Bruce. Of course, there were some big differences between the two that she could not look past.

One being the unrelenting rage.

His eyes met hers. She thought he recognized her, but then he slammed his shoulder against the side of the cage with a snarl.

Tony whistled. "Strongest hit yet! You really piss him off," he complimented.

"Do you want me to stand closer? Better data and that sort of stuff," she offered. Before Tony could give a real answer, she was moving close enough to press her hands against the clear structure. Her heart began to beat faster as he kicked at her head. She felt the glass vibrate with each smack.

The Hulk stepped away, glaring at her as he stomped to the other side of the cage, though it wasn't much distance. She barely had the time to think ' _holy crap I am so stupid_ ' when he pushed off the ground and rammed his whole body at her.

The clear glass —or whatever it was— didn't shatter. If she ever met the person who made that material, she'd thank them a million times for its strength. Instead of breaking, it absorbed the impact and shook so much that she fell backwards.

Saniya grabbed her side as her ribs ached from her tumble. He roared then continued his never-ending escape attempt. Tony rushed to her side, expecting tears or, at least, some sort of fear. Maybe it was the adrenaline that made her react that way, but she laughed. The Hulk stared at her like she was an alien.

"That had to be a new record."

Tony's forehead creased. "Remember when I said that was his strongest hit yet? Well, this was ten times greater." He helped her stand up, doing most of the work for her. "You look a little out of it. Maybe you should head up to bed. I can slip you some sleeping pills if that'll help."

Saniya steadied herself so that she no longer had to lean on Tony for support. His suggestion was more of a demand, and that sort of made her angry that he thought he could order her around. But since she didn't feel like being kicked out of the lab and ruin her chances of seeing the Hulk again, she told him that he was right.

She set the letters on Bruce's desk. "When he's done with this whole thing, tell him these are the papers I need translated."

He barely looked away from the screen. "Sure, whatever."

As she walked to the doorway, the strength of the Hulk's punches decreased. He stopped fighting completely, instead watching after her as she left. Tony burst into fits of laughter as he followed to exactly where he was staring.

Tony let out one last chuckle. "Looks like the Hulk likes her butt just as much as Bruce does. That's amazing. Jarvis! Please tell me you are recording!"

" _I always am, sir._ "

"I'm so adding that to the montage."

* * *

Saniya rested her head on her hands as Steve taught Marsha how to play chess. With Clint in Europe and Bruce doing whatever with the Hulk, there wasn't much for her to do.

"See, these pieces move diagonally across the board while these only move horizontally." Steve set the pieces back in the correct spaces.

Marsha picked up the knight, twirling the horse between her fingers. "And how do these move?"

"Those are trickier. Just think of them moving in the shape of a seven." Steve demonstrated the move then placed it back on the dark space. "Do you want to do a practice round?"

Marsha nodded with a smile.

Steve made his move and waited for Marsha to make hers. Five minutes of her trying to figure out what to do was driving Saniya crazy. Someone had to say something, and she was willing to be that person.

"Steve, can I ask you a favor?"

She could have sworn his mouth curved into a frown before it settled on a neutral thin-mouthed appearance. "Depends on the favor," he replied.

Saniya shifted in her seat. "Agent Musa sort of fired Clint from trainer duty and... I can't be moved somewhere else. I have to stay in New York."

He raised an eyebrow, looking away from the board as Marsha weighed her choices. "What's keeping you here?"

She held her tongue from snapping at him. _He was just making conversation, not attacking you_ , she reminded herself. "This entire city. I can't leave it," she confessed. "I love it too much. It's home."

He nodded knowingly, not even looking down as he moved his pawn forward. "In the time I spent in the war, before the... ice, I remember how homesick I got." His eyes lit up enough for her to appreciate their startling blueness. There was no denying that he was an attractive man. "This city grows on you."

She almost grinned at his confession. Finally, they had something major in common: their love for New York.

"So, you get why I can't leave?"

Steve's shoulder slacked from any tension they previously held. "I understand, but," he began to say, "what is the favor?"

He moved his queen forward, causing Marsha to whisper 'darn it' under her breath. Steve pointed towards one of her pieces as a hint. She moved exactly where he told her to and the game continued without a hitch.

Saniya tapped her foot against the leg of her chair. "If Agent Musa can't find a trainer for me in New York, will you do it?" Steve's eyes widened. Before he could protest or argue with her, Saniya moved on the offensive. "You wouldn't have to do it for long, I just need some direction. I can train independently so I really think I'm being reasonable with my request."

"Training independently isn't an option. You need someone to constantly critique your form and to keep you on the right track." He shook his head, opened his mouth, then closed it when he caught sight of Marsha's pleading eyes. Steve held up his finger. "I am not qualified to train you."

"What?" she exclaimed. Saniya slammed her hands on the table for dramatic effect, rattling the chess pieces. "You're Captain America!"

He leaned back in his chair. "Yes, and I do not specialize in stealth," he argued. Steve sighed. "You'd be much better off having an agent who has a similar occupation as you."

Saniya stifled a frustrated groan. "That's what Agent Musa is here for. I still will see her once a week and she can teach me all about the spy part of the job." She threw up her hands. "Maybe I can negotiate to get her twice a week! All you'd have to do is help me get strong and teach me how to fight. That's all!"

"I have a feeling it is not that simple."

She melodramatically draped her arms over his. "But it is. Help me, Steve Rogers. You're my only hope."

As predicted, the Star Wars reference flew right over his head, but it had the response she was hoping for. No longer was he looking at her with hard eyes, but with those of sympathy. And one glance over at Marsha sealed the deal.

Between the two of them, Steve was putty in their hands.

"Fine," he relented. "But only if Agent Musa can't find someone else."

Saniya beamed. "Thanks, Steve!" Even Marsha let out a quiet 'thank you'.

The two sisters met eyes and fought back laughter. Together, they were quite the force to be reckoned with.

* * *

 **—Inside Trieste Airport in Italy—**

Natasha's eyes roved over the surveillance videos with an eye trained by years of espionage. A piece of SHIELD equipment was hooked up to the monitor, scanning all faces for any sort of match. It hummed as the first sign of overheating. There were hundreds of faces to scan and it had trouble keeping up. Even _she_ was having trouble keeping up.

" _Nat?_ "

Her finger pressed on her earpiece. "Still looking. The highest match I'm getting is at 40%. You see anything yet?"

" _No. Wait, check the south side of the gift shop. I think I saw her._ "

"On it."

With a flurry of fingers, she brought the camera facing the shop into focus. The state of the art program immediately picked up on the face, making an one hundred percent match. Natasha straightened her back. "Got a match exactly where you said. She's heading north. I'll cut her off while you come up from behind."

" _Roger_."

Natasha smirked. "Now what does Steve Rogers have to do with this?"

Clint laughed but abruptly stopped. " _No jokes on the job, Romanoff_."

"Hypocrite," she scoffed playfully. She turned towards the officer and spoke in fluent Italian. " _Alert everyone you know to be on the lookout for that woman. Do not attempt an arrest. Leave her to us._ " Natasha didn't wait to see if the man was going to pass on her message. Flashing her SHIELD badge, she bypassed all extra security and ran down the length of the airport.

Her hand itched to grab her gun when she caught sight of her —Indali— but there were too many civilians around. Too many to get in the way of her bullet. She discreetly pressed her wrists. Her Widow's Bites hummed as they began to charge. Natasha slowed to a brisk walk as she blended with her surroundings.

As if people knew that they needed to get out of the way for something more than they could handle, the crowd parted enough so she didn't have to push through. She drew closer to the dark head until she could Indali's brown eyes widened.

" _Gun!_ " Clint yelled in her ear.

Her eyes flickered to Indali's hand, where she was, in fact, reaching for a weapon. Natasha sprinted towards her, watching the barrel of the gun become level with her head. She gripped Indali's arm and forced it up to the ceiling, firing three shots at the skylight.

Natasha wrapped a leg around Indali's neck as men and women screamed. Their momentum toppled them to the ground. Natasha tried to twist the gun from Indali but her hand had a grip of iron.

More shots were fired and someone screeched with pain. She pressed her leg tighter against Indali's neck. Her breaths were only small rasps now. Natasha yanked the gun out of her grasp and tossed it to the other side of the walkway.

All she had to concentrate now was cutting off Indali's breathing.

Or, at least, that was what she thought until Indali sank her teeth into her leg. Indali, with pure strength, forced herself out from under her and jumped to her feet. Then, her foot collided with Natasha's head.

Her vision blurred as her face smacked on the tile. Indali raised her foot and brought the heel down. Natasha rolled before it could collide with her face. She leaped to her feet, Widow's Bites humming dangerously.

Indali was smart enough to dodge her hands completely. She was constantly moving with her eyes watching the charged blue wrists. The closest thing that could describe the fight was Ying and Yang. Each move was met with one of equal force. Natasha was far more skilled, but Indali was quicker and stronger. She was able to force Natasha back with brute strength.

There was an opening and Natasha took it, latching on to her with her legs and wrapping a wire around her soft throat. Indali clawed at it but Natasha was unrelenting as it closed her trachea.

She forced the wire tighter. _This was normally the part where people fell unconscious_.

Indali slammed Natasha's back against the ground. Her vertebrae made a sickening crack. The wire came loose enough for her to slip her bruised neck away.

People, still trying to flee the scene, shrieked as Indali dived for the gun at their feet. Clint lifted his own weapon and shot her right in the chest. Indali stumbled but returned fire without any sign of being injured. _Bulletproof vest_. Natasha forced herself to move.

Clint dropped to the ground.

"Barton!" Natasha barked from behind her terrible cover of a wooden bench.

He rolled behind a metal trash bin. Clint lifted his hand and saw that it was covered in blood. "Just grazed me."

She pulled out her own gun. This woman had to be taken out now.

Indali yanked a woman by her wrist and held her in front of her as protection. The gun pressed into the innocent's temple. "Follow me and I'll kill her!" she threatened.

"Shoot when you have a clean shot," Natasha told Clint.

He nodded with a grim expression.

Turned out Indali would come up with the grand idea of a whole circle of civilians to cover her. It was an impenetrable shield of blubbering adults and children. Clint never had a clean shot, no matter how many angles he tried. He refused to shoot with the chance of hitting someone.

"Clear the plane!" Indali pointed towards the one that was just being boarded. Nobody moved. Her eyes flashed. "Clear it! Don't try to stop me. Nobody will stop me."

Natasha raised an eyebrow as one of the officers rushed through a gate with dozens of passengers soon trailing behind. The last man debarked. Indali —with her circle of hostages— locked them in the plane, sending the pilot to the cockpit. The two agents were beyond dumbstruck as the airport allowed them to fly off the runway without a problem.

Dozens of Italian police watched with them, even police cars lined the runway, but nobody interfered. Natasha was beyond infuriated. She was more than certain that there were protocols to follow after a plane hijacking. Nothing was done to get in her way.

"I..." Clint shook his head. "Wow, I really thought they wouldn't let her through, but they just..."

Natasha gritted her teeth. All she wanted to do was punch something, or someone. She grabbed the collar of the nearest Italian with a badge and slammed him against the wall. His eyes were glazed over, only returning into focus when he hit the plaster. " _Why did you let her through? Why didn't security stop her?_ "

He shook his head. " _I don't know, I don't know._ "

Clint returned his gun to his holster. "I'll try to figure out this mess. Maybe if I ask around enough I can figure out where the airport went wrong."

He returned a half hour later with no answers. Everyone he asked said that they felt like they had to obey her and nothing further. Natasha was tempted to scream in their faces about how they allowed a crazed murderer onto a plane, but then she recalled how she didn't do anything either. Odd. She was more pragmatic than Clint and saw the appeals of attacking her before she boarded, civilians or not. In fact, she specifically remembered thinking that just before Indali disappeared into the plane.

Why didn't she do anything?

When she asked Clint the same question, he was at a loss as well. Suddenly the officers who said they felt like they had to obey didn't seem so daft. Natasha and Clint were just as bad as them in the situation. It had her thinking as she recalled Marsha and Saniya and their abilities. Was there something they were missing?

The next hours were spent on a plane tracking her and arranging a group of agents as backup for the eventual confrontation. Their previous strategy of a small two-person team obviously was not the best for the situation. So, while arrangements were made, Clint plotted several potential landing points.

"We'll get her this time," Clint reassured her as he closed the laptop.

She shook her head. "We've said that several times already. She's too quick for the two of us to catch on our own. She uses civilians as a way to run. Every single time."

"Except for the time with Saniya." Clint frowned.

Natasha scowled. "Saniya is a civilian. At the hotel, she distracted us with a bomb and we had to evacuate an entire building. And now she has a dozen people standing between us and her. We might not get her quite yet."

Casualties. It all came down to casualties. If was her old self, before SHIELD, Indali would have been killed long before the hotel explosion, with the consequences of several dead townspeople. The past was easier in the respect that she didn't have to worry about innocents. She used to shoot anyone who got in her way without a second thought. But things weren't like that anymore. Not a single person could be overlooked, even the most insignificant.

He cupped her knee with a worn hand. "I feel it in my gut. This will be our golden moment."

"Are you sure it's not the airline food?" she asked.

Clint removed his hand as the stewardess walked past. He shrugged. "Okay, so maybe a little bit is from the food, but I'm positive of this. We're the best of SHIELD." She hummed her agreement. "If we can't catch her, no one can."

Natasha brushed her hand against his in the slightest of movements. "That's what I'm worried about." She closed her eyes for a moment. "She reminds me of what I was like, right after I left the Room."

"You think it started back up?"

"No," she said without hesitation. "The Red Room wouldn't taint its reputation by letting someone so unskilled do their work. I highly doubt she's even been properly instructed on combat."

Clint grabbed her hand, hiding it behind the armrest. "Then what's bothering you?"

She squeezed his fingers. "It's a power play. After I was let out of the Red Room, I used to do the exact same thing. She kills without asking the question of if she should. She's going to murder every single one of those hostages all because she can."

His eyes widened. "No matter what we do, they'll die."

"She'll kill more if we don't get to her first," she said. "Screw custody and an arrest, I'm bringing Director Fury a dead body."

"Nat—"

"People like her need to be put down before she can cause more damage," she interrupted.

Clint frowned. He disagreed with her, since once upon a time she was one of those people who needed to be taken out. He might have been willing to make the call to allow redemption but she wasn't. Much like Agent Musa, Natasha wasn't an optimist.

* * *

 **Bit of a spoiler for the next chapter: someone very special comes back ;)**

 **Don't forget to review! I would love to hear back from you**


	20. Chapter 19

**ZabuzasGirl: I'm glad you're liking it! I update as fast as I can**

 **Yuki Suou: I'm super happy you like it! And don't worry, there's going to be a lot more with Saniya after Part 1**

* * *

 _"This is Agent Klemmer from JFK airport. Does anyone copy?"_

 _"Uh, this is Samuel Christopher,_ pilot _of flight C48 from Italy. I copy."_

 _"Is it safe for you to speak, sir?"_

 _"Yes, uh, it is safe. All threats are taken care of."_

 _"Captain, can you describe these threats to me? Are you or the other passengers injured?"_

 _"No, uh, you see, the woman who was holding everyone hostage is gone now."_

 _"What do you mean gone?"_

 _"That's the crazy thing, uh, agent. She ripped the door right off when we got near land. She's no longer on the plane."_

 _"That is not possible. The pressure from—"_

 _"I know it's not possible but I saw it with my own eyes. It came right off the hinges."_

 _There was a long pause. "And did she have a parachute on or perhaps she didn't jump?_

 _"No parachute and I'm, uh, very sure she jumped. She had these eyes… god, she was half-crazed when she did it."_

Agent Klemmer turned off the recording. She tapped a printed out transcript of the conversation with a pen. "He goes on saying that a young woman was stabbed with a ballpoint pen, but there were no other injuries. He claimed that as soon as he said, and I quote, 'my name is Christopher and my first officer is Gonzales', she became calm and rational"

Clint blew a gust of air, pushing back the papers. "Then she jumped twenty thousand feet without a parachute. Very rational."

Agent Klemmer scowled, cheeks reddening with quick frustration. "If you're not going to take this seriously, Agent Barton—"

"I do believe he is a higher rank than you," Natasha said idly. "And this is serious for Barton. Continue, agent."

The agent curled her fingers then relaxed as much as she could. Her eyes landed on everyone sitting at the table, except for Barton and Romanoff. "In the back of the transcript, Mr. Christopher has detailed what he could remember from the conversation. I believe it to be of no use for our investigation."

A younger woman, who had taken detailed notes throughout the presentation, raised her hand. Agent Klemmer pointed to her like they were in a classroom instead of a debriefing.

"Why do you believe it has no use? Did she give any motives?"

Agent Klemmer's lips curled in disgust. "No. The conversation is useless. Though if you're interested, _agent_ , I'm sure you'd find their conversation on the meaning of life and religion to be profound." There was an acidic under layer to her words that silenced any other people from speaking. "I have examined everything and we have learned nothing from this except for that a woman is dead."

Natasha closed the folder labeled _Indali (No-Name)_. This whole thing was finally over though it did not end as she originally thought it would. And for that, she was thankful. Indali was dead and no one on the plane was killed. This whole situation couldn't have ended better.

She folded her hand over her folder. "Who wants to be on body retrieval duty?"

All the younger agents averted their eyes like lambs waiting for the slaughter. It wasn't the most glamorous of assignments, but in Natasha's opinion, they were overreacting. So, in retaliation, she chose the man in the back who had looked the most horrified at the idea of the job.

* * *

She aimed the gun at the target and pulled the trigger. Her joints stiffened as the gun recoiled, threatening to smack her in the face.

"You're kind of terrible at this," Tony commented. He slipped his hand in the arm section of his Iron Man suit. In front of him in the shooting range was a giant hole through one of the cutouts.

And when she looked at hers, there was a small hole in the shoulder. Hole, as in singular, despite spending almost twenty minutes at the shooting range. Saniya set the gun down rougher than she meant to.

"Do you really have to be here? Can't I teach myself how to shoot in peace?" she complained.

"Not in my tower, cranky-pants. You're not being left alone with weapons until you are deemed worthy." He pointed his arm and fired, completely destroying the cutout. Jarvis launched another out of the floor from the apparently limitless supply of targets.

Saniya raised the gun and cleared her mind. Maybe thinking too much was the problem. Or, as Clint said, 'making things more complicated than they needed to be'. And since he was the master marksman, she might as well listen to the advice he gave her.

Time slowed down as the last thought dripped away. Her body moved in slow motion but her brain was a marathon runner, taking in every detail. Her finger slowly pressed the trigger.

She watched the bullet crawl from the gun, but the recoil jerked the world back into focus. When she looked at the target, there was a clean hole through the head of the cutout to match the one in the shoulder. An uncontrollable grin took over her face. If only Clint was here to see it.

"Perfetto," she said. Tony raised an eyebrow. "It means perfect in Italian. I'm sure someone as uncultured as you wouldn't know."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, _I'm_ the uncultured one." She fought back a smile.

His mechanical arm whirred in the telltale sign that something was about to be destroyed. She didn't even flinch as the cutout shattered into pieces. Her eyes grew wide with wonder. Saniya grabbed his arm and twisted it so she could look at his metal palm.

"Please don't shoot me in the face while I look at this."

Tony was eerily still, hopefully trying his best not to blow her head off. "Maybe this can be a good learning experience to not look down the barrel of a gun." He pushed her away. "Seriously, you're making me nervous by how willingly you moved your face into the shooting zone."

"You wouldn't have shot me," she scoffed. Saniya glanced back at the part of his Iron Man suit. It was so fascinating that this technology even existed. She ran a finger down the metal plates, hardly aware that it was attached to a person. "How good are you with this thing anyways?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Are you sassing me?"

"It's a valid question."

Tony pressed into the arm and the metal popped off. "I helped ward off an angry swarm of aliens and kept them from taking over the earth. If I wasn't good, do you think I'd still be here?" The arm folded into a neat square, which he placed in his pocket.

She placed her hands on her hips. "I've never seen you in action, so I have no clue if you are," Saniya defended.

There were several moments of silence. Just as she saw Tony's mouth open, probably to say that he was going to lock up the weapons and leave, she interrupted, feeling a wave of insecurity wash over her.

"Can I see the arm again?" Her eyes dropped to his pocket. Saniya rocked on her heels. "I mean, it's not a big deal; I don't even want to see it that much anyways, but..."

There wasn't anything particularly embarrassing about her request but she felt like she had to explain herself for being interested in the suit. If she didn't explain herself, he would think she was weird, just like her neighbor whenever she helped his brother with his car. As the snarky thirteen-year-old boy had put it, "girls aren't 'sposed to be interested in guy stuff". She _knew_ better than that, but it was hard to forget all the times her family and friends said that to her.

So, one could imagine her relief when Tony's words were void of ridicule. The way it unfolded from a small cube to something that protected his entire arm was fascinating. Saniya watched it with wide eyes.

His face scrunched into something close to contemplative. "You went to college, right? No degree, but you went for a couple of years?" She nodded. "What'd you major in?"

"Everything, I guess. It was hard finding things my parents approved of and that I liked." With a degree of difficulty, she lifted her eyes from the blaster. "Why?"

Tony gestured to her face with splayed fingers. "You've got Inventor's Eyes. I can see it." One fluid motion of him curling the metallic fingers drew her gaze down. "Did you ever try out engineering? Any of that STEM stuff?"

Her shoulders lifted into a half-hearted shrug. "I thought that sort of stuff was cool, but it never clicked y'know?" He waved his hand in a lazy way of telling her to keep going. Finally, she allowed him to put away the metal arm. "I sat in on lectures but no matter how long I listened, I didn't understand a thing."

His fingers snapped. "Hands on learner, then. I can dig that. Sani, I never pass up the chance to show off how much I know."

Saniya didn't know much, but if there was one thing she did, it was cars. Taking cars apart —even for not so legal reasons— was an excellent way to become familiar with motor vehicles. After Tony found out that she knew more than the average joe about cars, he was sparked with inspiration that resulted in something not related to them at all.

And that was how she ended up on the rooftop shooting at plates being launched from a contraption Tony made. She was more than certain they were Pepper's, but they were hideous plates with faded flowers so she considered this a favor.

Tony leaned back with a glass of whiskey, watching under dark shades. "Ah, physics," he sang as the plate sailed through the air.

A piece of the plate broke off as her bullet whizzed by. Amazingly, it landed with nothing more than a small fracture through the middle. These plates were very hard to kill.

"Aim better!" Tony yelled from his spot in the shade.

Saniya gritted her teeth, aimed her gun, and shattered the next plate into tiny shards of porcelain.

" _Sir, Ms. Potts has been inquiring about your whereabouts_ ," Jarvis informed.

He downed his drink in one last gulp. "Tell her I'm in the lab with Bruce."

" _Dr. Banner is with Ms. Potts as he has been searching for Ms. Ramakrishna_." Her cheeks heated up. Bruce had been looking for her? " _They noticed you two were missing, as well as her plates, and managed to put the two together_."

She flipped the safety on the gun, checked it twice, then handed it to the billionaire. Saniya glared at the wall, eyes roving over the entire side, as she was not sure where Jarvis's voice was coming from. "How could they have put the two together unless someone told them?" Her eyebrow raised.

If Jarvis was a real person, he would most likely look unimpressed at her insinuation. " _Miss Potts is quite the detective when she needs to be. Though you would like to believe it, you are not the perfect criminals_."

Tony scoffed while trying to sweep the broken porcelain to the corner with his shoe. "Perfect criminals? Maybe not. But perfect?" His smirk would have been attractive if she hadn't seen him lick mustard off the crotch of his sweatpants several days ago. "Pepper will take one look at this face, remember how handsome and rich her boyfriend is, then forget about everything."

" _She has mentioned more than once that you will be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your life, sir_."

He winced then snapped his fingers in her direction. "She's determined to be angry, then. Our only hope is for you to woo Bruce. Maybe Pepper will keep my suffering to a minimum if she sees how impressed he is," he said.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Just imagining Bruce saying 'wow, Saniya, you're really smart for helping Tony build this' or something to that degree raised her heart rate a fraction. Nothing would be more satisfying than impressing the smartest man she knew.

While Tony was hiding the evidence as best as he could, she tugged the neck of her shirt as far down as it could go.

"Where are they now?" she asked.

" _Ms. Elliot accidentally told them of your location and are in the elevator as we speak_."

Tony's eyes widened. "Distract them while I hide the body."

Like a loyal soldier, she saluted and dashed to the elevator doors inside the building.

It was something out of a horror movie. She saw her life flash before her eyes. Pepper Potts was on a war rampage, with a glare that could burn through steel. Maybe it was her imagination, but lightening crackled as her eyes settled on her.

"Where are my plates?" Pepper asked. When Saniya didn't answer, she tightened her grip on a clipboard. "They were a gift from my parents and I want to salvage whatever is left."

"We, uh, don't—"

"I know you have them," she replied with a clipped voice. "I also know that there is a gun missing from the shooting range and he built something in his lab. Where. Are. My. Plates?"

Saniya's eyes shifted towards Bruce standing behind at a long distance. His eyes met hers and everything was okay. There was no furious Pepper or any problems at all. But the spell was broken when Pepper's nails tapped against the clipboard.

Pepper closed her eyes, most likely to gather her bearings, but only looked angrier than before. "Where is my boyfriend? Can you answer that?"

She pointed towards the door out to the roof. "Sorry, Ms. Potts, CEO of Stark Industries and a wonderful woman who is a great role model for children. It was Tony's idea."

"It always is," Pepper lamented. Her lips formed a straight line. "Wonderful job sucking up. I might not attack you for this after all. Might."

With a click of her heels, Bruce and Saniya were left alone in the dimly lit hallway.

He shook his head. "I don't want to know what you two were doing."

 _"Why do you keep acting like this? I don't understand and I don't know if I have the patience anymore!"_

Bruce and Saniya flinched at Peppers yelling. There was an unspoken agreement that they should give the couple as much space as they could, which meant moving floors. He pressed the button for the labs.

"You were looking for me?" she asked. She rocked on her heels.

"I wanted to talk to you, yes. About the letters." The space between his eyebrows creased. "I'm curious to hear what happened in Italy."

It was a loose suggestion that gave her plenty of room to say no. He wasn't asking her, just stating his interest in hearing about the situation. The scientist didn't know it, but he didn't have to slip in a sly hint to get her to tell him. She was planning to anyways.

Saniya smothered a loopy grin. "I've been dying to talk to you about it."

His mouth lifted slightly. Then, it fell to a thoughtful frown. "Tony mentioned that you saw... ah... the Other Guy," he said as the doors open. Bruce and her quickly walked past any curious people to the lab. "If I had known you had returned from Italy, I would have warned you. I'm sorry."

She blinked. "Don't apologize. I thought it was fascinating."

"Fascinating?" He paused as if he expected her to scream 'just kidding'.

Saniya patted his cheek before sauntering to the nearest stool. "You're—He's strong. I've never seen... honestly, it's awesome."

Bruce's hand touched the side of his face before quickly dropping. He stuffed his hands in his pant pockets. "Trust me, it's more of a nightmare," he said so low she barely caught it. "Those letters I translated, whose were they?"

And that was when she told him everything, not sparing any detail. It was a long talk since she managed to bring up every little thing that happened, even something as minor as the magic grass. She was probably overloading him with information, but he was so easy to talk to. He was trustworthy. Not to mention, he was a great listener who let her ramble and rant, only interrupting when clarification was needed. Those were the best kind of people to talk to in her opinion.

By the end of the whole spiel about Italy, he handed her the letters. "All of the them are love letters. I'm not sure what you want to do with them." Bruce rubbed his hands together. "I think you should give them to SHIELD."

She held the letters close to her chest. "No way will I do that."

He sighed. "Saniya—"

"No," she said sternly. Bruce pursed his lips. She brought her foot close enough to almost touch his, then scooted it back. "I don't... I don't think it's a good idea to tell SHIELD."

"It's out of your hands. This information could be valuable in finding her," he said. As much as she hated it, his words were making sense. Bruce was the voice of reason against her stubborn resolve. He placed his hand on her knee as he stood before her. "I know you don't trust them, but Indali is dangerous. She isn't like Marsha."

Saniya frowned. "I know that," she replied with accusatory undertones. His mouth matched her scowl at that. Without thinking much of it, she grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through his. She didn't notice Bruce freeze or the distinct look of panic taking over his face. "Indali is super terrifying and possibly a psychopath. But, I mean, SHIELD already knows that. What's the use in telling them what I know?"

Her eyes fell to their interlocked hands when she felt his thumb brush against the back of her hand. Saniya's face heated up when she met his gaze, but her grip remained strong.

"You should, at least, think about telling Natasha or Clint about this. They are trying to track her," he said.

She shrugged with zero commitment behind her words. "I'll think about it."

As their hands separated, her fingertips reached out for one last brush against his palm. It was an agonizingly slow separation, neither quite sure if the other wanted to hold hands in the first place.

Bruce took several steps back and stuffed his hands in his pants pocket. Saniya closed that space with two small steps.

She dug her toes into the hard floor. "What do you think will happen to me and Marsha if they find out we're Indali's sisters?" she asked. Concerns that she had for weeks rose up through her thoughts. It always came down to what SHIELD would do if they knew.

He blinked. "Are you worried that SHIELD will do something?"

"Yes," she answered. "Do you think they will?"

"I promise you," he began, "that I won't let them take you against your will, and god knows Thor won't either. They won't hurt you if you tell them."

The anxiety rolled up in her uncoiled enough for her body to relax. She mustered a weak smile. "Thank you. You're a really good person." As soon as she saw the beginning of a scoff, she stepped forward to a distance too close to be innocent. Her hand rested on his arm. "You are," she insisted. Her eyes searched his face and all she saw was disbelief. "Don't you dare think that just because you have the Hulk hiding in that genius head of yours that it makes you a bad person."

Bruce shook his head.

She jabbed her finger into his chest. "Stop it. Stop with the self-deprecation. Name one bad thing you've done. One."

"I destroyed Harlem. If you want, I can go on."

That made her jaw drop in shock. "That was you?" Her eyes widened. "I guess it makes sense. Okay, but you know what? You're still one of the nicest people I've ever met. Even if you did destroy a lot of stuff."

He tilted his head. "I don't think you get the point. I'm dangerous—"

Her hand dropped. "I got the point," she said. "I read you loud and clear, but then I made my own." Saniya rocked on the balls of her feet. "I've never met someone as amazing as you."

Saniya lifted onto her toes and reached her lips to his cheek. Halfway there, she changed course on impulse.

Their mouths were two puzzle pieces, or at least, that was how it felt to her. They matched like their mouths were made to be melted together into one. Saniya was on cloud nine. Though he was still against her body, his lips were soft and perfect. Then, it came to an abrupt halt as she was gently pushed away, her lips still pursed for another kiss.

She wasn't often the one who was pushed away. Rejection was a revolting feeling that seeped into every cell of her body, bringing back the other times this happened to her. It made her want to run into the woods and live the rest of her life as a hermit.

Bruce's eyes were wide. He was like a deer stuck in headlights and she had been the car who brutally ran him over with no remorse, no warning. That was never a good sign to see one someone's face. Especially after kissing said person.

Instead of dealing with the situation like a responsible adult, only one option was clear to her. Saniya jabbed her thumb towards the door. "I need to go and... do stuff." Face turning into a wildfire, she fled the lab.

" _Dr. Banner, are you feeling well? Your heart rate escalated at an exponential rate_."

She kissed him.

 _She had kissed him._

His lips were buzzing and a feeling of dread washed over him. The dread wasn't because it was an awful; Saniya was remarkably good at kissing. No, it was because an array of worries rose as a result. Even without the Hulk being factored into a relationship, they weren't a good match. Tony had mentioned the possibility of dating Saniya to him several times, but even the playboy had trouble seeing anything long term resulting from Bruce and Saniya.

But there was no denying that she was the first beautiful woman he had kissed in years, and that brought a giddy feeling out in him. And if he wanted to freak himself out more, he swore he felt the Other Guy reacting to the kiss as well.

" _Dr. Banner?_ "

He glanced to the ceiling. "I'm fine. Thank you, Jarvis."

" _Shall I notify—_ "

"No, no. I'm... fine." He took in a deep breath. The drumming of his heart stayed at a steady rate. It was impossible to take his mind away from the scene of Saniya leaning in to kiss him. "I'm great."

* * *

Her cheeks were still on fire two hours later when Natasha strolled from the elevator. She sat up straighter. Nobody had told her that Natasha and Clint had returned from Italy. Not even Jarvis gave her a heads up.

Saniya muted the television. "Did you catch her?"

The assassin looked at her curiously, her eyes drifting to Saniya's red cheeks. "She's dead. Jumped out of a plane without a parachute," she replied.

 _Indali was dead?_ Saniya turned the thought around in her head. That didn't feel right, like there was something else missing. It was the same feeling of how she knew that Marsha was still bouncing around in the tower with Steve. But since she had no facts to back it up, she kept her thoughts to herself.

Natasha sat on the couch next to her, eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"Yes what?"

"You look like you have something to tell me."

Saniya held back a terrible lie when she remembered what Bruce said. Screw Bruce for pushing her away, but she still took his advice to heart. If he thought telling Natasha about Indali was a good idea, then it most likely was.

Maybe it was time to get rid of some of her distrust in SHIELD, especially since she was working for them now. Of course, she would never trust them completely. After everything that happened, she didn't have the capacity to, but she could afford to give them some of her trust. In the long run, it'd give her more peace of mind as well if she wasn't constantly worrying about what SHIELD would do to her.

But, all this was easier said than done, so she had to take things one step at a time. She mentally built herself up to freely take that first baby step.

Saniya held up her finger. "Hold on." When she came back with the letters in hand, Natasha was still in the exact spot on the couch. Saniya plopped next to her. "I found these in that car in the woods. Bruce translated them and I think they belong to the woman you were tracking."

Natasha looked over the letters carefully before tucking them in her sweatshirt pocket. Her sharp eyes examined her, undoubtedly reading her mind. "These will be helpful. We'll have a talk later."

Saniya was beyond thankful that she didn't ask why it took so long for her hand in the letters.

A sly smirk rose to her face. "Thor is back," Natasha said.

She jumped up from her couch, eyes staring at the sky for Thor flying around with his hammer. Once again, _nobody had told her_. "What?" she exclaimed. "Where is he?"

Natasha rose from her seat. "I'll take you to him."

Saniya, despite not knowing where they were going, was the first in the elevator. Natasha followed soon after and Jarvis took them to the correct place two floors above them. When the doors opened, it was on a floor identical to the one she slept on. It was another of Tony's guest floor.

And standing in the middle of the living room was Thor. Saniya shoved aside a brunette woman as she jumped into her friend's arms.

"Thor!" Her arms tightened around the large man. "I missed you."

He smiled, blinding her with his white teeth. "And I have missed you. I have so much I wish to share with you."

Saniya beamed. She pulled away, but still rested her petite hands on his muscular arms in a small embrace. "It was awful here without you," she told him. "Never leave this tower again."

His smile faltered. The brunette woman coughed purposefully into her fist. Just as Saniya was turning her head to glare at her for interrupting their reunion, Thor held out his arm. "Lady Saniya, this is Jane," he introduced. His bright blue eyes twinkled.

The woman was small, several inches shorter than her, and gorgeous. Marsha would have trouble speaking to her, that much she was sure of.

"Jane Foster? Your lady pal?"

Thor nodded.

Saniya fought the urge to upturn her nose. Jane did not look like the type of woman she imagined Thor dating, or 'courting' as he would say. In her head, Jane had been a buff athlete/scientist who could beat people up. Never had she thought Jane would look like someone who went to the gym the weekend after New Year's and never returned. Where was all the muscle she was expecting?

Jane held out her hand, glancing at Thor and her's close proximity. "Who are you?"

She reluctantly shook hands with her. It was like shaking a dead fish. She could practically feel this woman tearing one of her only friends away from her.

"Saniya. Thor's best friend."

Jane's eyebrows rose at that.

Saniya released her hand. "What are you doing here?"

As soon as she saw the faintest movement of Thor's hand coming to her shoulder, she locked her knees. "She is interested about astral projection and wishes to observe." She had a feeling that he also wanted to show Jane off. Despite not meeting her expectations, she was pretty and (considering her career) smart.

Saniya held back a frown. Stupid Jane being the total package. But, astral projection? That was not in the plan they went over before he left.

Natasha crossed her arms. "You may need to explain," she said for Saniya.

Thor's smile dimmed at Natasha's words. "My father did not allow me to speak with Loki. He was worried that he would use his silver tongue to lead me astray."

Her shoulders fell. _That didn't go as planned._

"Worry not, Lady Saniya, for I have a solution. Many of my brother's possessions remain in Asgard and I found two stones used to train young ones in astral projection. A guard will set one of the stones outside of Loki's cell." Thor held out a reddish stone that glittered in the light from the window. "We shall be able to communicate with him from Midgard. You will get your answers."

Saniya blinked. "So, Odin, your father, said that you can't speak to Loki, but, you're willing to go behind his back for me?"

Thor nodded. "It does not please me to go against my father's word, but you and your sister deserve answers."

Once again, she was latched on him in a tight hug. With her face buried in his chest, she muttered a 'thank you'. He truly was the best of friends.

"When?"

Thor appeared thoughtful. "When do you believe to be the right time, Lady Saniya?"

She tapped her foot against his. "Not today. I have to have time to emotionally prepare myself for talking to him," Saniya said.

His eyes widened as if she just told him that she gave birth while he was gone. "I believe you are mistaken. You will not be the one to speak to my brother."

Her finger jabbed into his arm. "Yes, I will. You're the one who said 'we shall be able to communicate with him'. We means you and I." Thor began to open his mouth but she covered it with her hand. "I will talk to him since that's possible now. I want answers and I want to hear it for myself."

Jane furrowed her brows. "Can two people use the stone at the same time?" she asked.

Thor shot her what looked like an attempt at a glare. "I— well, yes, but—"

Saniya nodded. "So it's decided."

He looked desperate, but she had made her decision. "Please, Lady Saniya. This is not something to be taken lightly."

"And I'm not," she insisted. "I think I'm making the right decision with this."

Natasha leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "Why the sudden urge to speak with Loki?" His name was said with enough poison to kill a herd of elephants, causing Thor to wince. The assassin continued with a collected calmness to her. "I don't remember you telling Thor to bring you to Asgard."

Saniya furrowed her brows. "I'm not going to force him to bring me to Asgard. That'd be too demanding of me." Natasha rolled her eyes. She turned her back on the assassin. "You literally just said two people can use the stones. What's the big deal?"

His large hands cupped her shoulders. "I do not feel it is safe for you."

"Can he touch me when we use the stones?" Just the hesitation was enough to tell her that no, Loki would not be able to touch her. This was only further proof to her cause. "See! It'll be fine."

Thor must had known that Saniya was stubborn enough to never back down or that he couldn't say no to her because he agreed. Reluctantly, but he still agreed. "The moment you feel unsafe, I will cut the connection," he promised.

Saniya smiled. "That works with me. This will be so cool."

Jane shifted on her feet. Her eyes were narrowed slightly at Saniya. The poor scientist probably had no idea what to make of her. "Thor and I were just about to go out for dinner. Would you like to join us?"

She crossed her arms. "I can't leave the tower," Saniya said. The expression that passed over Jane's face —one of relief— made her want to yell at someone. "I'm too important, you know? So they keep me here in the most important building in New York. Very important," she droned on.

Thor's girlfriend nodded slowly. "I see. Important." The moment she held out her hand, Thor was by her side. "We'll see you tomorrow then." And, to make her feel worse, Thor walked out on the balcony, hugged Jane close to his chest, and flew off with his hammer.

Saniya pouted. He'd never taken her flying.

"Important, huh?" Natasha commented.

She waved her hand. "Shut up. Please, never talk about this. Ever."

The elevator dinged open and they were soon on their way down. All she wanted to do was ride down in silence so she could complain to Marsha. Jarvis was kind enough to realize this but Natasha ignored her wants.

"Thor's in love with her," Natasha said.

"I know," she grumbled. Her arms crossed in a jerky movement.

"You'll have to get used to sharing him."

"I know. Trust me, I know the situation." Her foot kicked at the wall of the elevator. "But he's my friend, so if he dare cuts me out for her instead I'm going to be so pissed."

Natasha suppressed an amused grin. "I feel sorry for Thor if it comes to that."

So did Saniya. For Thor's sake, she hoped he didn't.


	21. Chapter 20

_"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," Bruce complimented as they spun. Her dress sprayed out from her body in waves of fabric. The blue dress rippled like water as she rested her arms on his shoulders, swaying to the violins. Though the room was full of faceless dancers, she couldn't keep her eyes off the man in front of her._

 _Saniya smiled. "I know, but please, tell me more."_

 _The small twitch of his lips was enough to send her heart fluttering. Bruce guided them to the edge of the dancefloor. Somewhere in the midst of dancers were_ _Pepper and Tony bouncing like they were listening to heavy metal. Pepper's neck was surprisingly flexible as she whipped her hair in an unnatural direction. Natasha was slow dancing with a grizzly bear while Clint was trying to convince Steve to chug a bottle of wine_

 _Her smile wavered slightly as she caught the Avengers out of the corner of her eye. Oddly enough, she only wondered where the bear came from instead of the other weird behaviors._

 _His hand rested on the small of her back. "Your body is shaped like a statue in a museum, carved from the most talented of artists. Your hair is the shiniest I have ever seen. Your—"_

 _"Okay," she interrupted. "But what about me?"_

 _The scientist froze momentarily. Their dance became off tempo as they struggled to find the movements again. "What do you mean?"_

 _Her fingers picked at the back of his suit. "I mean me. My personality. What about that part of me is beautiful?"_

 _Bruce's mouth opened, then he snapped it shut. "I… well..."_

 _"Can't think of anything?" Saniya frowned, face flushing a deep scarlet "That's expected."_

 _He cupped her face, desperate to find some sort of compliment, but he was at a loss of words. "No, Saniya. You're... wonderful. Truly... wonderful."_

 _The moment her mouth curled into a snarl was the second he realized how frustrated she was. His hand fell from her cheek and rested safely on her back._

 _"Wonderful? What about me is so wonderful, Bruce? Do you even care?" Saniya shot out. Her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand as she met his eyes. "Do you?"_

 _Then, like a broken record, he played with a piece of loose hair and told her how beautiful she was. Her bottom lip wobbled. She had been so sure that Bruce wasn't like the majority of her exes that she, admittedly, swindled into a relationship with her looks. She had been so sure he thought more of her._

 _Slowly, she pressed her lips to his cheek, leaving a perfect outline of red lipstick. "I think you're amazing," she said. "I thought I was fine with this."_

 _His arms around her tightened. "What do you mean?"_

 _"I thought I was fine with you just liking my body. I thought that it was okay as long as I managed to have you." Saniya sniffled. "I have the biggest crush on you and I didn't realize how much this actually hurts. Holy crap, what is wrong with me? This used to be okay."_

 _A sad smile painted his lips. She rested her head on his chest as they rocked back and forth. "You deserve someone who appreciates all of you," he told her. "Don't sell yourself short. You're worth much more than that."_

 _Saniya sighed into his suit. "Maybe not. I mean, everyone I date, they end up saying 'you're not the one' or 'I really hate you'. And the one man who I dated that really loved me was impossible to be around. He annoyed the hell out of me." She pursed her lips. "His name was Greg and, well, he's... he's something. I think he's in prison now. But I mean, is that the best it's going to get for me? A convict who sells stolen cars for a living?"_

 _She looked up, and suddenly she wasn't hanging onto Bruce anymore. It was Sammy. Him and all his golden-haired glory. The only expression she could manage was a sour grimace._

 _He scowled. "Why do you always make that face when you see me?"_

 _All she saw when she looked at him was the tears and fights. Her parents had hated him almost as much as they hated her for running out on them. He used to be her one-way ticket to freedom. Sammy was the key to getting out of an arranged marriage._

 _"I don't do it on purpose. It just happens." She scanned the room for a sign of her scientist. "Where'd Bruce go?"_

 _"Does it matter?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _The space between them doubled. They were dancing like two teenagers at a highly chaperoned dance._

 _Sammy upturned his nose. "So... Greg? Seems like you really hit rock bottom after I left you."_

 _She fought back the reply that she left him. But if she did that, they would only get into an argument since both seemed to think they left the other. "Of course I hit rock bottom. I was living in a homeless shelter when I met him and was practically eating dirt." They both nearly tripped when the song changed to a faster tempo._

 _He glared at her. "You manipulated him like you manipulated me. Right? I'm sure he had plenty of money to spare."_

 _Saniya winced, but her resolve was strong. "I-I cared about him."_

 _"But the money," he insisted._

 _She smacked his shoulder. "He is what brought me out from under the poverty line," she defended. "I cared a lot about him. I needed him."_

 _"And when he needed you, where were you? You didn't hire a lawyer or visit him once in prison."_

 _"You can't possibly know that," she said after several moments of silence. "How do you know that?"_

 _His eyes rolled, but his rigid hands relaxed against her. "It's a dream. All this is your dream, so of course I know everything."_

 _A dream just like that creepy one with Indali and Marsha. She stared up at Sammy, not sure whether he was an illusion of her mind or she was connecting to him like she did with her sisters. But if Sammy wasn't real, then that meant Bruce wasn't either, and that would suck._

 _She sighed. "I'm sorry." His eyes widened a fraction, but he kept his surprise hidden well. "I never told you how sorry I was, but I feel so guilty for everything I put you through." Her thumb ran along the soft fabric. "And I'm not just saying that because you're confronting me about it. I really am sorry."_

 _"You never loved me."_

 _Saniya nodded. "But I did care about you." He scoffed and she scooted closer to him. "I did. You were so sweet to me, but I was young and felt like I was trapped so I didn't see that. All I saw was a way out, not another person with feelings."_

 _His eyes softened. Suddenly, he tugged her close for a hug. Sammy felt the exact same as she remembered him: warm and sweet like a cookie fresh out of the oven. Her eyes drooped shut as she was mentally brought back to a simpler time._

 _"I'm glad you didn't marry that accountant in India," he murmured in her ear._

 _"Me too."_

 _Sammy's fingers brushed against her skin. "Tell me what you just said, but in real life next time."_

 _She, like with Bruce, buried her face in his crisp suit. "You won't forgive me."_

 _"No, I won't," he agreed. "But it'll make things feel easier for the both of us."_

 _Saniya jerked her head up when she heard Indali's anguished screams coming from the back of the room. The violins fell silent, along with everyone in the room. In fact, everyone seemed to disappear except for one man sitting in the middle of the room with his back to her. When she reached behind her, she found Sammy was gone as well._

 _"Come here," rasped the man. His voice was dry and sounded like a struggle to get out._

 _She scanned the room for Indali, but she wasn't there. Only her screams that echoed off the walls. The lights flickered as she made her first step, eyes stuck on the orange hair._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _He coughed violently into the bend of his arm. "You know me."_

 _As she made her way in front of him, she froze. "Christopher?" Saniya blinked. "Why do you keep appearing in my dreams? Stop it." At least he was appearing in a more clear way than before. She blinked hard then opened her eyes. He was still there, not easily pushed away like in the last dream._

 _Christopher struggled to suck in another gust of air. His face was a vibrant blue and the bruises on his neck were as clear as day. "I've been trying to speak to you. You have to save my doll." Christopher's cough was no less startling to hear when she was facing him._

 _"I don't want to talk to you," she replied, arms crossed. "You're a terrorist, you've killed people, and you're dead. I'm not listening to a thing you say for my own safety." Saniya pointed to herself. "I was almost killed in that car accident, you jerk."_

 _His lungs struggled to fill themselves. Christopher sounded and looked dead. There was no life in his eyes, only glassy milk, and his voice sounded like a typical zombie moan. The only thing keeping her from screaming at the sight was that this was a dream. There wasn't a dead man speaking to her. Her mind was making everything up._

But _, her thoughts protested,_ Bruce felt real. What's stopping this from being real too?

 _"Indali wants to avenge me," he warned. "She'll kill everyone."_

 _She shifted in her heels. If Indali was still alive —which she was almost sure she was— then this wasn't surprising. "Why are you telling me this? Isn't that something you'd want?" Her gaze sharpened. "I've read part of your file. I know the type of things you've done."_

 _Christopher latched onto her hand. The coldness seeped to her bones and Saniya felt dead herself. His loneliness was crippling and, oh god, he was so cold. Her energy began to drain until she was nothing more than a hollow husk like him._

 _As the blue in his face faded to peach the limper she felt. For the first time, his breathing didn't sound as labored. "Indali will regret it. She thinks she won't, but she will." His hand tightened around her thin wrist. "She can't win against SHIELD because she doesn't know the enemy she's facing. She just wants their death. They'll lock her away forever if she goes through with this."_

 _"What should..." She forced her eyes open. "What should I do?"_

 _"Find her," he pleaded, " and keep her safe."_

 _"I don't... know where... she is." Her whole body was swaying, ankles threatening to collapse._

 _"You have to find her. And if it's too late, remember the story of Shiva and Kali."_

Saniya sat up in her bed as Indali —or whatever was making the noise— screamed in her ear. And as soon as she was awake, the tears came rushing down her cheeks. She balled up the blankets and wept into the fabric. She wasn't sure what exactly was making her cry other than all the stress she had been carrying inside of her coming out at once. Christopher had been the thing to push her over the edge.

Marsha, who more often than not sleepwalked into the end of her bed, stirred from her sleep. She allowed her eyes to focus in the dark, only to see Saniya wiping snot on satin sheets.

"Saniya?" She reached out, holding Saniya in a hug immediately. "What happened?"

Saniya clung to her sister. "I'm so tired. I-I'm so tired of this." Marsha rubbed her back. It was a soothing gesture but did nothing to calm her shaking. "I want to go back to the way everything was before. I don't want this!"

Marsha's lower lips wobbled. "I'm tired too," she murmured into her hair. "Maybe we'll get used to always being tired, though."

"I don't want to get used to it," she sobbed. "I-I want everything to be normal again. What did I do to d-deserve this?"

Saniya shook with each sob. Never before had she been so thankful to have Marsha with her. She held her tightly and Saniya didn't feel alone. The cold Christopher left behind was gone thanks to Marsha.

When her tears quieted down, she pulled away but still leaned close. "Indali is going to do something bad. I don't know what, but she will," she said in at a hushed volume.

Marsha's eyes widened. "But you told me she jumped from a plane. She can't survive that."

"I know what I said, but don't you feel it? She's out there somewhere." Saniya gripped her hand, wet from wiping away her tears. "He said that she's going to hurt people."

"Who's he?"

She rubbed her eyes. They were red and puffy, not at all an attractive look for her. "Christopher. The man Agent Klemmer killed. He said that Indali's going to avenge his death against SHIELD." A frown crossed her face. "I don't know how she'll manage it because I don't think Indali knows much about SHIELD."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Marsha said, strangely not questioning a dead man speaking to her. Or maybe she just wasn't questioning Saniya and took her word for it. She tugged her sleeves over her hands. "She might not know where they are, so she can't do anything. Right?"

Saniya held her tongue to keep from spilling her thoughts. Marsha was so optimistic, contrasting with her pessimism on the situation. Plus, it didn't help that if a 'ghost' visited her dreams, then it had to be a bad sign for what was to come. The whole thing didn't sit well with her and she couldn't bring herself to truthfully agree.

"You might be right," Saniya lied, for Marsha's sake. She scooted back under the covers. "We should get some rest while we still can."

Marsha was quick to fall asleep within minutes of saying goodnight. Saniya, was the opposite, instead staring at a spot on the ceiling as she thought over her dream. There was no sleep for her that night.

* * *

As soon as she saw Bruce, she ducked into Natasha and Clint's bedroom. Her back was pressed against the door as she listened to him walk past into his bedroom.

She sighed in relief. He hadn't seen her.

Her heart was beating out of control at the thought of him seeing her. What would he say? They hadn't spoken since the kiss and she was terrified of what he would say to her. Given how he pushed her away, though, she had a pretty good idea. But if she ignored the problem, maybe he would forget about it and she'd never have to confront him.

There was a click and she slowly opened her eyes. To her surprise, she came face to face with a gun.

"Stop reaching for the door handle," Natasha told her. "Put your hands over your head."

She did as she was told, not taking her eyes off the weapon. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed.

The assassin watched her with narrowed eyes. "What do you do in a situation like this?"

"Are you crazy?" she questioned. The gun pressed closer to her face. All Saniya wanted to do was melt into the door.

"What do you do?" she asked again. Natasha raised her eyebrows. "If this was real, you would have been shot by now."

"If— what?" She bit her tongue. The less she talked, maybe the less the assassin would want to kill her.

A spark of frustration rose through her as Natasha rolled her eyes. This was not an eye-rolling type of conversation. This was life or death. The gun lowered and Saniya could breathe again.

"I'm not planning on shooting you. This is a hypothetical situation to give you practical skills." With a flick of her wrist, the gun was pointed between her eyes. "What do you do?"

"I'd run out the door as fast as I can."

"A bullet can travel over a thousand feet per second. You're not out-running this," she deadpanned. She sighed, grinding her teeth. "What. Do. You. Do?"

Saniya eyed the gun warily. "This is hypothetical?" Natasha nodded. "So hypothetically this situation is after I'm done with training?" Another nod. "I would be able to kick that gun out of your hand, right?"

She bit the inside of her cheek before slipping it in the back of her jeans. "Good enough for now, I suppose. Next time I ask that question, I won't wait to give you time to think." Natasha motioned for her to follow her into the closet. Like in her room, she had leather uniforms in here, along with Clint's things. Natasha's side of the closet was much more organized than Clint's pile of arrows and uniforms.

"What the heck was that?" she demanded. To stop her hands from shaking, she wrapped her arms around her torso. "I thought..."

"That I was going to shoot you?" She smirked. "The safety was on and it wasn't loaded." Natasha picked up a pair of worn boots. The leather had thinned and they had seen better days, but she still looked at them fondly. "Put them on," she ordered, shoving them into Saniya's hands.

They dropped to the floor. "No way. Not until you explain what just happened."

Natasha met her gaze. "Agent Musa couldn't find anyone willing to come up to New York to train you. She was planning to send you to Philadelphia to someone with a more permanent location. When Clint heard about this, he asked me to train you."

Saniya blinked, taking in everything she was told. Clint came to her rescue despite the trouble she put him in. That thought was enough to make her smile. He was someone she'd be glad to call her friend.

"Put the boots on," she repeated. This time, Saniya didn't question it. Free shoes were free shoes. "Your workouts will be independent. I have better things to do than watch you run on a treadmill. It'll be your responsibility to make sure you're in shape."

When the second boot slipped onto her feet, an almost perfect fit, she looked up. "You'll just teach me how to be a proper spy," she finished for her.

The corners of her eyes crinkled but her mouth remained a straight line. "Exactly. Click your heels together."

Her mouth screwed into a frown. She wasn't Dorothy trying to return to Kansas, but there was no point in arguing in something as insignificant as this. The heels of the boots tapped together. Saniya nearly squealed in delight as two blades slid out of the sole. Kicking someone in the crotch was made infinitely more fun with these shoes.

Saniya's finger reached out to the blade but thought better of it. "These are sweet." Her toes wiggled, moving the blades side to side in the air.

"They're KGB. I brought them out of the Red Room," Natasha replied. Once again, the sly grin that made Saniya question Natasha's motives was on her face. "I've recently had a new pair made and I felt like you'd appreciate these."

She clicked the heels together. In a swift movement, the blades were hidden in the boots.

Saniya smiled. "Thank you. I'll have fun with these."

Natasha passed her with a short pat on the shoulder. "Wake up at seven tomorrow. I'll slide your workout sheet under your door in the morning." The assassin glanced back with an amused expression on her face. "And you better hurry up to Thor and Jane's floor. He's planning to talk to Loki alone."

A frown the couldn't be rivaled was stuck on her face as she stomped to the elevator. Jarvis, the always eavesdropping friend, brought her to the correct floor in a matter of seconds.

All the furniture had been pushed back to the walls. In the center of the room was a chair with the crystal set in front of it. Jane was setting up a camera and speaking into a tape recorder. Clint, most likely there as a SHIELD overseer, was twirling a pen around his fingers so fast that it was a constant blur.

Her breath caught as her eyes met Bruce's. His cheeks turned a slight red before he forced himself to face his laptop.

And Thor... well, he looked like a ghost when he saw Saniya standing in the elevator with her hands on her hips. He _knew_ he was in a lot of trouble. Thor opened his arms wide as if to hug her. "Lady Saniya! It is not a wonderful morning?" he bellowed.

She crossed her arms. Her right foot tapped roughly on the carpet. "You were doing this behind my back?" she asked in a low tone. "Even after I told you that I wanted to talk to him with you?"

Jane paused in her work on the camera. "I was the one who suggested it," she spoke. Saniya's glare didn't even make her flinch. "We have no idea how this will affect you. It's easiest to let Thor go alone."

Her nose scrunched up. Jane was not her mother. She couldn't boss her around or make decisions for her. So, Saniya tugged Thor towards her rougher than she meant to.

"Didn't you say I had the sei— sai—" She bounced on her heels as she struggled to come up with the word.

Thor watched her with wide eyes, so pure that she wanted to forget how angry she was with him. "Do you mean seiðr?"

"Yes, that! Doesn't that make me like a witch or something?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "I don't believe you quite understand—"

She didn't dare look at Jane, Clint, or Bruce. She already felt their questioning stares. "But it's magic," she said. "And your brother —Loki— used the crystal with magic. Doesn't that mean that everything will be fine?" Thor cupped her face with a gentle hand. The look he was giving her was one of someone about to let her down as nice as possible. "I'm not completely normal," she defended. "It won't hurt me."

"It is not the crystal I worry about." His hand dropped. "I merely wish for you to be safe."

As she looked up at Thor, she realized that her anger with him didn't last long, especially after he said something as sweet as that. Already, she was done being furious with him. But, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. There was no way she'd let him know that, not until she got her way.

"You said that I could come with yesterday." Her finger nearly broke in two as she jabbed his muscular chest. "Are you breaking your word?" Thor's shoulders began to sag and the guilt followed on both ends of the conversation. Suddenly, everything Sammy said about manipulation was brought back. She really hadn't changed much over the years considering what she was doing to Thor. Poor guy didn't deserve to be treated like this.

She sighed, determined to break this habit. "I'll be safe with you. You'll protect me. But, if you really," she grimaced as the next words came out of her mouth, " _really_ don't want me there, I won't come. I don't want to be a jerk to you, so it's your decision."

The Asgardian stared at her with conflicting eyes. He set his jaw. "Is this what you want?" She nodded. "Then I will allow you to speak to him for a short time. When I say you must leave, you will listen."

Saniya beamed. "Thank you."

Thor and her began to walk back to the center of the room.

Clint tucked the pen behind his ear. "I take it from her face that you gave in to her demands," he commented.

Bruce slowly shut his laptop. "Do you think that's—"

"It's fine, Bruce," she interrupted without looking him in the eye. "Thor said it's okay, so it's okay."

The room fell silent until Jane dragged over another chair. Thor began telling her what the crystal did though she was half listening, half staring at Bruce. From what she heard, the crystal ran off its own source of seiðr instead of feeding off the person using it, making it the perfect training tool for young sorcerers. All they had to do was sit and allow it to do its thing.

Jane readjusted one of the cameras to fit their bodies in frame. She gave Saniya what was meant to be a reassuring smile. "It might not work right away for you since you aren't, well, Asgardian, but in theory it should." The scientist held up a wire and a pad on the end that looked like the things doctor's use on patients in hospitals. "If not, we can force it with some well-placed wires."

Bruce rubbed his hands together. "In theory, yes, but we shouldn't force it. Thor doesn't know how it'd react."

Jane half rolled her eyes when Bruce wasn't looking. If she wasn't frustrated with Bruce, Saniya would have called her out on it. "I know that, but it's a possibility and should be looked into." She pressed record on each of the cameras. "Doctor Banner, I assume we'll keep in touch after this. Maybe we can try to recreate this with earth materials. I've been talking to Stark, and he said he'd fund that sort of research."

Thor released a great chuckle. All eyes turned to him. "I admire your aspiration, but this is not something that can be recreated by mere mortals."

Saniya kicked at his ankles. "That was really patronizing," she scolded.

Jane smiled slightly. "I'm sure if you give us enough time, us mere mortals will be able to figure it out."

It didn't make her feel better to see Bruce unpacking a first aid kit, no doubt for her supposed failure. "If you feel nausea or a headache, tell me right away. We don't know what will happen to you exactly."

Thor clapped a hand on her shoulder. "She has a spirit of fire. A soul like that is not extinguished so easily." He turned to the scientist. "I promise you that the crystal will cause her no harm. It is used by the children in Asgard and is made to cause no pain or adverse effects."

Bruce's eyes met hers and a heat rose to her cheeks. For a moment, she imagined what it would be like to kiss him again. "I can't help but worry," he admitted. "Be careful."

She managed a small smile. "I won't do anything you wouldn't do if that makes you feel better." Then, she remembered that she was upset with him and sent him a bitter scowl. Bruce raised an eyebrow but didn't comment."Close your eyes," Thor told her. "You may feel a weird sensation."

"Close your eyes," Thor told her. "You may feel a weird sensation."

Her eyes fluttered shut. There was a small prick on the back of her neck. Then another on her nose. Suddenly, the small pricks rained down on her body. No spot on her skin was left untouched. Before she could so much as gasp, Thor was telling her to open her eyes.

He chuckled as she struggled to pick her jaw off the ground. "This is… different."

And different it was. Asgardian air, despite being in the depths of some sort of prison, was sweet in her lungs. That was the only nice thing she noticed.

A man —she assumed to be Loki— sat behind a glass enclosure staring at them with slitted eyes. The smirk that rose to his face just as she imagined: pretentious and mischievous. He rose to his feet in an elegant way she imagined all princes moved. She knew he was royalty, but he didn't look like it in his torn clothing and greased back hair. But if she focused on his face, she could make out the hard lines of a cruel monarch kicked from his throne.

It was clear that this man wasn't trustworthy. He was the cat and she was the mouse already trapped in his claws.

"Thor," Loki welcomed, lips twisted into a Cheshire cat smirk. "I was wondering why a guard set one of my old stones in front of my cell. You've come to visit, and you've brought a guest." His fingers pressed against the glass, almost laughing. "And not just any guest. No, no, you've brought me a mortal. How... unordinary."

"You really are insane," she breathed. He had the crazy-eyes trope going for him.

The smirk on his face didn't falter. "Insane is a word mortals use to describe someone who understands more than their pitiful minds can comprehend." Her eye began to twitch and she couldn't help but whisper 'so pretentious' to herself. "And that's why you're here, isn't it? For me to answer all your questions."

She crossed her arms. "Can you?"

"Better yet, I can show you." Loki gestured towards the wall of the cell. "Place your hand on the glass and I'll give you your answers and more."

Thor stepped between her and his brother. One of his large hands held her back. "Lady Saniya—"

"I'm not stupid," she hissed quiet enough for Loki not to hear. "I'm not going to touch the glass and I'm sort of offended that you think I would."

"But you are tempted," he replied.

There was no denying that the promise of answers was exciting, but she didn't forget who Loki was. He was the god of lies and trickery and couldn't be trusted.

She patted his arm. "Like I said, I'm not stupid." Her eyes narrowed on the god leaning casually against his prison. "He's a monster." She thought back to her days as a waitress, scraping along for her next meal. A gnarly ball of hate, one molded with a reason somewhat petty compared to the horrible things he'd done, rose in her stomach. "He's the one who made food expensive. He can go to hell for all I care," she growled.

Saniya stepped towards the glass, careful not to touch it. Though there was space between them, Loki towered over her with an impressively straight back. She lifted her chin. "Can you answer my questions or are we wasting our time?"

"I can, but it doesn't benefit me to help a mortal."

Mortal. There was that word again. It was spewed out with acid, like the word should be enough to put her in her place. He meant it as an insult, but she couldn't find it in herself to be offended by it. Being mortal wasn't something to be ashamed of, but even Thor was stiffer when he said the word.

Thor came up next to her. "Brother," he pleaded, to Loki's pleasure, "she has seiðr but she is most definitely a Midgardian. Lady Saniya is more than worthy for answers."

If she had seen his hand coming to pat her on the back, she would have prepared herself. Thor, always meaning well, did not seem to realize that he couldn't be as rough with 'Midgardians' as he could with his Asgardian friends. So, instead of taking it like a champ, she smacked into the glass, leaving an outline of her forehead.

Saniya cupped her face. "Oh, wow. Yeah, that hurt." She leaned against the prison, trying to regain her bearings. "Really, Thor?" As the pain subsided, she opened her eyes, only to see Thor frozen in place and Loki's hand over hers.

"Uh... what—"

His hand shot out and grabbed her chin. There was one Loki in the prison, frozen like Thor, and another forcing her back against the glass. With one hand to her throat and the other forcing her to face him, she was trapped.

"Thor must have thought he was so clever by using astral projection, wasn't he?" Loki sneered. A cruel laugh passed his lips. "Astral projection is about opening your mind. It's like leaving gold out in the open and being surprised that a thief stole it."

No matter how much she tried to pry his fingers from her throat, it made no difference. "You're in my mind," she gasped.

His eyes narrowed. "No," he drawled. Loki drew his face closer, looking quite disgusted with her. "That is not how it works."

"Then how does it work?"

"You would not understand."

"Of course I don't understand if you don't tell me," she snapped. All her attempts to wiggle out of his grasp failed. Loki was not as strong as Thor, but he still overpowered her. From the limited movement he allowed, she aggressively pointed her finger at him. "Stop being a jerk, unfreeze everything, and explain."

He tilted his head. "And why would I do that?"

"What else do you have to do? There's not much to do except for talk to me."

The edges of his mouth turned downward, his perfect smirk morphing into a scowl. Maybe he didn't like the fact that a mortal was telling him what he should do.

"When's the last time you ever talked to someone? Like a conversation about something other than 'hey you're locked in a cell for the rest of forever'. I'm offering that if you let me go."

He stepped away from her. Saniya took advantage of the space by backing away. Reading the emotions of a chronic liar wasn't the easiest thing to do, especially for someone as clueless as herself. She was pretty sure he was either amused that she thought she could manipulate him or offended that she thought she could get away with it, but it was clear that he knew she wasn't being earnest with her offer.

"You came here for something," he began. "I have not seen a soul since my imprisonment." That explained the extra dose of crazy in his eyes. Solitary confinement has proven to be bad for the mind, even that of a supposed god. Maniac or not, he had to be starved of social interaction. "Speak now before I become impatient," he demanded.

She blinked. Somehow, she didn't think her manipulation would work, and that caught her off guard. "Out with it, mortal," he snapped, leaning against the cell and glancing back at his frozen self. "I may answer your questions if I desire so."

"Rude," she hissed under her breath. Saniya gestured wildly to Thor. The poor guy wasn't going to move anytime soon. "What the heck did you do to him?"

The smirk made a reappearance. "We are on the same spiritual plane as we are all projecting ourselves."

"That doesn't explain my frozen friend," she replied.

"Your mortal mind is quite easy to use as it lays in the open when you project yourself. With the right amount of pressure, I can delve into the deepest parts of your mind," he reveled, sounding quite like the supervillains in movies when they tell the hero their evil scheme. Loki, like Tony, was eager to show off how much smarter he was than her. "I am using your gift against you."

Saniya interlocked her hands. "Gift? Is that my time thing you're talking about?"

Fingers crawled up the stem of her brain. She felt them itching their way through her memories, searching through them meticulously. Flashes of her falling from bridges and jumping off buildings flooded her brain, the nails scratching at each one. It wasn't until the feeling stopped that she realized her hands were squeezing her head.

His lips curled in disgust. "You use your gift for foolish things. This is why mortals should not be given seiðr."

She shut her eyes to gather whatever courage she had left. Then, she slowly opened them, keeping the frozen figure of Thor in her sight. "What do you mean?"

"Mortals are vile creatures," he said. "They are never born with seiðr. They are too impure."

"You're nothing special either," she retorted.

Saniya flinched when he took a step towards her. The touch, though not rough, was razor blades grazing across her cheek. "Midgardians are not worthy," he said. "Those who possess seiðr must pass on a part to live in those like you." His entire face morphed into pure disgust, drawing his hand away. "And those who have been given gifts are burned at stakes or ostracized. They should be celebrated as champions, not treated as criminals."

In an attempt to wipe his touch away from her skin, she pulled her sleeve down and scrubbed her cheek. Loki was not impressed though she figured she'd get the same reaction no matter what she did.

"Someone gave me my ability to turn back time?"

He blew roughly out of his nose. "So narrow-minded," he muttered almost quiet enough that she didn't hear. "I suspect an Asgardian. You reek of it."

The fingers returned, crawling through her memories. Her fists balled as his oily touch tainted her memories. Each push left an impression. Saniya would never be able to remember certain moments without recalling the invisible touch. She tried to tell him to stop, tell him that she'd kill him if he kept going, but her mouth wasn't working. Her body seemed to not know how to react to the foreign presence.

It stopped. His eyes fluttered shut and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Frimia," he huffed. "I am not surprised." (A/N: reference to the beginning to Chapter 9 if you want). "She always had a dim mind and a too large heart."

Her hands couldn't stop shaking. So he wouldn't see them, she crossed her arms tight against her chest. "Frimia? Is she the one who gave my sister her thing too?"

For once, Loki looked surprised. "Your sister, she has a gift as well?"

Saniya tilted her head. "More like a curse, but yeah." Before the fingers appeared, she flinched back from him. "Don't you dare look through my mind again. Don't. You. Dare," she growled.

He slammed her back into the glass and touched her forehead. The fingers were more violent now, more thorough through the direct link. They prodded at each memory involving her sisters, including the few with Indali.

The second he released her, she slid to the ground. She cupped her head. It burned to remember.

Loki frowned, less disgusted with her presence and more contemplative. "It was Frimia. I am fairly certain your sisters have been given gifts from her but that's impossible," he said. "Giving the gift of seiðr is not easy. She could not have given three gifts that close together."

"Three?" Saniya winced as she strained her neck upwards. "Indali doesn't have a gift, she's just a murderer. Kind of like you."

"She's been given the gift of being a conqueror," he said, voice almost complimentary. "A voice that can sway others to her cause, warlike mindset, a strong body... she would have been a valuable asset." He scowled, all positivity gone. "There must be another person. Frimia is not strong enough to three gifts close together."

She pushed herself to her feet despite a raging headache. "Where can I find Frimia?"

Loki stared at her, eyes narrowed. There was a small touch at the base of her brain. Saniya couldn't hide her strong flinch. "You wish to have her take away your sisters' gifts."

"Stop it!" she yelled. "Stay out of my mind!"

If he was taken aback by her outburst, he didn't show it. He stalked towards her with intent in his eyes. "You ungrateful—"

"They're curses," she replied, back smacking into the glass. She shook her head. "I got the sweet end of the deal, but they're suffering. Frimia has to take their gifts away." The words flowed from her mouth, leaving her unsure when this conclusion came to her. It made sense, though. Marsha was terrified of what she could do and Indali was horrifying with her 'gift'. Frimia was a twisted person if she thought the abilities she was giving Marsha and Indali were good.

When he came close enough to her, she raised her fist to punch him. Loki grabbed her arm and forced it back. "And you do not see your gift as a curse?" She refused to answer, especially because of his mischievous grin. "I see now. I will not judge because I understand."

"No, you don't."

He held up a finger. "I do," Loki insisted. "You wish to be the powerful one while they are left useless. And you think we are not the same," he tsked.

She squirmed under his stare. "That's not true."

Loki face came closer to hers. "You constantly say to yourself that you want to be normal, you don't want to be special, but in truth, you want power. Why else do you manipulate everyone, sometimes without consciously doing it?" He smirked. "We both want power, just different ways of achieving it."

Her mouth opened then closed. His lips curved in triumph at her silence. Saniya's eyes met his as she slowly clicked her heels together. "What are you getting at?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You believe in so little of your abilities. Midgardians are not talented with seiðr, no matter how much they try. But, with the proper guide, you can do so much."

The dots began to connect. This was a sales pitch from none other than a god desperate to leave prison. He saw a weakness and latched onto it like a rabid dog. "You want to use my abilities," she stated. "You want to use me."

"With the proper push, I can make you great." His teeth looked sharp in the dim light. "I can make you important. Never again will you have to beg for attention, like you did all those years with your parents. You'll have the entire world's attention." When his finger ran down her neck, she felt something bubble in her chest. The seiðr inside her was reacting, showing her that he could, in fact, use it however he wanted with little effort. If she stayed, she might not have any other choice than to help him.

Without warning, she drove the blade of her shoe into his shin. His form flickered as he howled in pain. There was only one Loki now, this time in his rightful place behind the cell wall.

"Lady Saniya! I..." Thor's voice drifted off as he noticed she wasn't in the place he last saw her.

She stuck her tongue out at Loki. He slammed his hand against the cell. "Thor, I'm done with him. Let's leave, now."

The Asgardian had to know something happened. Even the most oblivious of people could figure that out from the mini tantrum Loki was throwing.

"Are you alright?" he asked

"Yes. I want to leave," she stressed.

He raised his hammer with a short farewell to Loki, then they were back in Stark tower. She raised her hand to where Loki grabbed her throat to find it smooth and unbruised.

Bruce and Jane were by her side with a first aid kit. Jane's eyes were wide. "Did something happen? You were barely gone for a minute."

Without warning, her face scrunched in the beginning of tears. Saniya sucked in a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. She was sick of crying just like she was sick of her entire life. "He... he used me," she told them.

Bruce's eyes flashed, his grip on the plastic first aid kit tightening. "What did he do to you?" he demanded to know. Saniya nearly froze as she saw his patience unraveling before her eyes. "Where did he touch you?"

She gestured to her throat. "He sort of strangled me and... Oh. Oh!" Her hands fluttered to his arm, feeling his stiff body. "He didn't do anything like that. Just a lot of manhandling and he... used my abilities against me." The edges of his eyes were almost turning green if she looked close enough. But when she clarified, it didn't fade like she expected it to. "I spoke to him for like five minutes. He told me a lot of things." Her nose wrinkled. "He's a jerk."

Bruce slowly relaxed under her touch. "Very pretentious," he said, not able to muster up even the stiffest of smiles. His breathing was more controlled as he fought back the green.

" _So_ pretentious."

Jane, oblivious to the danger several feet away, smiled with relief. "When you both woke up, I thought something went completely wrong," she told her. "Could you describe the whole experience? It would be interesting to see if a human's astral projection felt different then, well, an Asgardian." She jerked her head towards Thor who was slipping the crystal in his pocket.

Saniya looked at Bruce momentarily. His eyes were almost entirely brown. "Sure, as long as you get me something to eat."

The corners of Jane's eyes crinkled. "Of course." She rose up from the crouch and moved into the kitchen to find her something to munch on.

She leaned closer to him so nobody would overhear. "Are you okay?"

Since his breathing was slower now, everything was close to normal. "We need to talk," he said. She caught on to the dual meaning: the obvious one about what happened with Loki and the kiss she was so desperate to not bring up.

Saniya stood up abruptly. "Suuuure," she said. "Erm, I just need to talk to Jane then to Marsha, and probably to Thor so he knows how awful of a brother he has. I... Natasha wanted to talk so I'm pretty booked for today."

His lips drew into a straight line. "Tomorrow over lunch?"

If she wasn't so sure that he was going to reject her, she would have thought he was asking her out. "Maybe," she said. "I have a lot of stuff to do." With that, she hurried to find Jane.

She wasn't sure why Bruce's rejection was so scary. Normally, she preferred confronting people as soon as possible and forcing them to spill their thoughts. But knowing that he'd tell her all the reasons he doesn't want to be with her, she was nervous.

This crush she had on him was the worst. It was so bad and she wasn't sure she liked all the feelings running through her.


	22. Chapter 21

"I thought you said you had better things to do than watch me run on a treadmill," Saniya panted. The sweat running down her face made her more of a puddle than a human being.

Natasha began to carry several large weights to the bench press. "I do," she answered. "This isn't just your gym."

Clint came in soon after in a tank top with sweat stains and maybe a little bit of blood. Together, they were a team that could communicate without words. Natasha laid on the bench press while Clint spotted her. Her jaw drop as Natasha lifted an impressive amount of weight. It had to be more than she actually weighed and she was acting it like it was nothing. If Marsha was here, she'd probably faint because, dang, that woman was strong.

When she nearly fell on her face from staring, Saniya knew that was a good time to take a break. She stepped off the treadmill and clawed at the cramp festering in her side. Just to make sure it wasn't her ribs, she lifted her damp shirt. The bruises were starting to fade and barely hurt if she poked them.

Saniya wiped the extra sweat beading on her forehead. She smelt like a pigsty. There was nothing she wanted more than to hop into a shower to wash everything away. But, unfortunately, she could only wash the sweat and dirt off, not the doubts Loki put into her mind. They kept knocking into the front of her brain every time she tried to forget.

What if her perception of everything was biased? What if Marsha and Indali were given gifts instead of curses? They were horrible at first glance, but what if there was something she wasn't seeing? She didn't actually believe that, especially after Marsha's panic attack and Indali's murderous actions, but the doubts were there to stay.

 _"I know not where to find Lady Frimia. She has always been, ah, flighty," Thor told her. "Perhaps I can return to Asgard to see if she had returned recently."_

 _Saniya grabbed his hand, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Jane. "You can't leave. You just got back!" she protested._

 _Jane raised a steamy mug of coffee up to her lips. "Maybe you should go," she said. Thor furrowed his brows with thought. "You promised me you would take me to Asgard one day. I want to go."_

 _Thor glanced at Jane and Saniya, confused by the vicious glares they were giving each other. He rested a hand on Jane. "We will speak of this later," he promised. "But, Lady Frimia has been known to disappear for decades at a time. I fear we will not know of her whereabouts in your lifetime."_

 _Her foot tapped violently against the floor. "What about that all-seeing guy? Heimile?"_

 _The faintest of smiles lifted on his face. "Heimdall. Lady Frimia, not unlike my brother, can sometimes shield herself from his gaze. Perhaps I could leave for a few days with Jane to speak with him. It would not be a guarantee that he will see her, though."_

 _Saniya shook her head, then mentally berated herself for being so quick to do so. "No, you should stay here. It's not that important. Really, it's not."_

 _"Lady Saniya—"_

 _"I don't want you to leave, okay?" she interrupted. "You're literally one of my only friends and I don't want you to leave me."_

 _Thor's eyes softened. "I would never dream of doing so, Lady Saniya."_

Further into the night, they had discussed if Frimia could take away gifts or not. Thor pretty much sided with Loki on that subject. Sure, he didn't call her ungrateful, but he was disapproving. These gifts seemed to be the highest honor a "mortal" could have.

But ungrateful wasn't the only thing Loki called her. He called her narrow-minded under his breath when they were discussing her abilities. Then, to confuse her more, he said that with the right guide she could do great things. Did that mean she could do more than turn back time? She already had by freezing time momentarily and such, but how far could she take it?

Saniya was never one to expand her abilities. They had been perfect the way they were, so she had no reason to be stronger. Now she was wondering if she could be better, if she could be... powerful.

"You're giving me a headache just looking at you," Clint said. Natasha rested the bar on a pair of hooks and sat up, looking as refreshed as she did when she walked into the gym.

"I'm just thinking," Saniya grumbled. She jammed a granola bar into her mouth then chewed like it had personally wronged her.

"Yeah, I could see that. A little too much in my opinion." He watched her for several moments before speaking again. "Chin up, kid. Don't let him get you down. He plays with you on purpose. Gets in your head." Clint winced. "For me, literally, so I get it."

"Me too," she said without thinking. Natasha and Clint stared at her with widening eyes. "I... he... it's not a big deal."

Natasha rose to her feet, making her way over to her. "What'd he do? We never heard the specifics."

Her mouth curved into a frown. For a moment, she wondered whether the Black Widow's concern was sincere or if there was a darker motive. But when Natasha rested her arm on her shoulders, it didn't matter anymore. Somebody was listening to her. Someone that she wouldn't be worried about scaring, like Marsha. And despite SHIELD and Natasha skipping hand in hand, she found herself trusting her, quite a change from when they first met.

"He looked at my memories. He got into my mind because of the stupid astral projection thing and used my ability against me."

"Ah, yes," Clint sighed. "The mystery ability you have."

She tilted her head with a faint smile. "I'm sure you guys have figured it out already."

Natasha patted her shoulder. "For the most part," she said with no further explanation. One delicate eyebrow raised. "What else did he do to you? He said something, didn't he?"

Saniya smacked her knees with her hands. "Can we not talk about this anymore?" she said suddenly. "I just want to move on and forget it ever happened. I've done all my complaining with Thor and am through talking about Loki."

Clint lifted his hands. "If that's what you want." He paused in his walk back to the bench press. "Our door is always open, not literally, though. We lock it now because of your midnight walks, but what I mean is that we'll listen. I probably more than anyone knows what it's like to have someone else poking around in your head."

She blinked away her watering eyes, either made from frustration at Loki or how touched she was by the offer. "Thanks. You guys are awesome." Saniya swung her feet under her, the bottoms of her shoes scraping against the ground. "I need to feel clean again, so I'll see you guys at lunch. Have fun working out."

As her finger pressed the elevator button, Natasha's hand curled around her wrist. "Loki is good at making people doubt themselves." And when the breath drained out of Saniya was when Natasha knew she hit the bullseye. "Don't sell yourself short."

Saniya nearly smiled when she remembered dream Bruce saying the same thing. "I'm not," she argued weakly. Natasha wasn't convinced. "I said I'm not." She took a hesitant step into the elevator. The assassin's hand dropped. "I don't remember if I ever thanked you for agreeing to be my trainer."

"That isn't something I need to be thanked for," she said. "It's my duty."

The beating of her foot was oddly calming as she struggled to find the right words. "You have to have a good reason for training someone who isn't dedicated to being SHIELD. So, for whatever that is, thanks."

A strange expression took over Natasha's features like she ate a lemon and was forcing her face to stay neutral. "There are people here who care about you," she replied.

"And SHIELD cares about the people who care about me. I get it. You're keeping the important people happy."

Natasha watched her with sharp eyes, maybe expecting a violent reaction or, at least, an argument about her intentions being less than pure. But, nothing happened except for Saniya almost smiling at the joy of people actually caring about her. Someone cared enough to force SHIELD to cooperate. That was a nice feeling, one she wouldn't easily forget.

She stepped into the elevator. "See you at lunch."

"Wait."

Jarvis was enough of a dear to not close the elevator doors in the middle of their conversation, but Natasha still held her hand against the metal to keep the doors from closing

"Do you remember the body you found in the car?"

The better question would be how could she forget? The brief panic on her face was a good enough answer to that.

Natasha shifted on her feet. "We found his family in Austria. He'll get that burial you cared so much about."

An easy smile rose to her lips that even made Natasha grin a bit. "Finally, SHIELD does one thing right."

The assassin laughed at that. "Go wash off. You smell like a sewer."

She wrinkled her nose. "Trust me, I know. Jarvis!"

 _"Of course, miss. I will have it running by the time you reach your bathroom."_

Saniya sighed with contentment. Things were going quite well today.

* * *

"Scarlett Johansson," Marsha sighed, a shade of pink on her cheeks. She stared off for a second before looking at Saniya.

"Harrison Ford," Saniya said without hesitation. Her head tilted. "But, like young Harrison in his Indiana Jones days." The briefest flash of the celebrity cracking a whip was enough to get her hot under the collar.

Marsha rested her chin on her hands. "What about you?" she asked Steve.

"Ginger Rogers. She was one pretty dame, er, woman."

Being born way past Steve's time, she had no idea who that was, but she imagined she was gorgeous. "And, if you hypothetically marry her, she'd keep her last name. Very convenient," Saniya said.

Marsha nodded. "She wouldn't have to order new checkbooks or anything."

Saniya sipped on her lemonade thoughtfully. "Steve," she began, "if you marry anyone, will you make them take your last name?"

Steve frowned. "If you had asked me back during the war, I think I would have said yes. It was tradition for the woman to take the man's name. It still sort of is." He paused, then nodded definitively. "I don't think I would be comfortable if they didn't at least have one of those hyphenated last names, but it would be her choice."

"I see; you still gotta pee on what's yours." The super soldier looked less than pleased of how she put it. "There's no way I'm getting married, so, Marsha? Who would have whose name?"

Marsha shrugged. "It depends on whether my name sounds good with her name or not."

"I think I'll have my future husband take my last name just to go against everyone's expectations," a voice behind them said. They all turned to see Pepper standing in a crisp business suit, looking like she was worth a fortune.

Steve nodded towards her. "You might have to rethink that. Tony Potts doesn't sound very nice together. Sort of clashes."

Pepper wrinkled her nose when she heard her boyfriend's name with her name attached. "I think I agree with you on that, actually. He can keep his last name." Saniya, who had been trying to sink in her chair, straightened when Pepper's eyes fell on her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Saniya stood and followed her to the hallway. Pepper rubbed her hands together and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Before she could get a word out, Saniya was quick to throw Tony under the bus.

"I'm really sorry about the plates," she rushed. "It was Tony's idea and I only went along with it because I didn't know they were yours. If I had, I would have told him no. It was very wrong to destroy your things."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Tony said you were an active participant in the plate smashing and helped smuggle them from our floor."

Her mouth curved into an 'o'. Stupid Tony had sold her out. To be honest, that was what she was planning to do to him, but she chose to overlook that fact. "I mean... I..." Saniya sagged her shoulders. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about," Pepper said, though no doubt she'd bring the plates up later. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Pepper looked embarrassed. "I have a package being delivered today and I would really, _really_ appreciate if you picked it up from the front desk."

"What? That makes no sense. I don't have access to the lobby and don't you have people to bring your packages up for you?"

Pepper was avoiding eye contact, instead absently thumbing the papers on her clipboard. "Happy usually does, but it's a... special package and I don't want him asking questions." She waved her hand, as if what she just said wasn't suspicious at all. "Plus, ever since he's been made Head of Security, he's been on edge. It'll calm him down if he can put a face to the name Tony told him about." Pepper ruffled through her papers to pull out a plastic card with a clip on the end. "Here's your security badge. Make sure he sees you wearing it."

Saniya clipped it on the collar of her shirt. "So, you want me to intercept whoever Happy is to get your package?" Pepper nodded. "What's in it?"

She let loose a nervous laugh. "It's... well... Tony thinks we have a problem with intimacy and that's why our relationship has been a bit rough. And at this point, I'm willing to try anything." Her cheeks were turning a peculiar shade of pink. "He got a little carried away and ordered some things we don't normally use."

There was a moment of silence before she burst into a huge, knowing smirk. "That'll be fun. I'm happy for you guys, honestly."

When Pepper heard those words, filled with support rather that judgment, she relaxed. Her smile was natural now instead of the stiff mask from before. "It's something new."

She was starting to walk towards the elevator, Pepper only a few steps behind. "I'll get your box." There was a small pep in her step. "I'm actually really excited for you guys. The right stuff can make the bedroom awesome."

"That's what Tony said too, but I have a feeling he was just trying to convince me." Saniya pressed the button. "I'm glad I have a second opinion."

Jarvis didn't say anything on the way down, but she assumed it was a one-time access to the lobby since she still fell under "prisoner" status. She considered making a break for it. SHIELD wouldn't care. She was already on their payroll and under their manipulative thumb. They could track her using whatever advanced technology they had at their disposal. Was there really a need for her to stay in the Tower?

Then again, there were two very good reasons in the floors above that kept her there.

The lobby was sleek and polished, much like Tony and Pepper's floor that she snuck a peek of. The floor was nearly reflective and minimalist paintings hung at equal intervals. She tried to remember what it looked like when Natasha first dragged her here. It was slightly different, so Pepper must have done some redecorating.

She scanned the lobby, passing over business men and women walking in and out past security. Her eyes landed on the counter with a bored secretary.

It wasn't that hard to find her package. A delivery person, holding a clipboard and a hat pulled down to hide her face stood as a man had a one-sided argument with her. The box sat on the counter looking falsely innocent.

"Where is your security badge? If you were allowed to bring it upstairs, you would have been given a badge," he said. His eyes narrowed. "What did you say your name was?"

"It's fine," she butted in. The delivery person flinched and turned her head. Saniya tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but she was determined to hide it underneath the hat. "Pepper Potts sent me to bring it up."

The man grumbled with annoyance as the delivery woman took this time to leave the package and tower behind. Saniya watched her leave while trying to place where she saw that woman before. The man turned back to her, eyes settling on the security card.

"Pepper?" He frowned. "I don't see her name anywhere on the package. How can you be sure?"

Saniya set her hand on the box. "She told me to get it, so it must be hers."

"Must be," he repeated, not as sure about it as her. He held out his hand. "I'm the Head of Security. It's nice to finally meet you."

"I'm Saniya, but I bet you already knew that."

Happy's chest puffed out the slightest bit as she grasped his hand. "Yeah, I read your security card." His smile grew stiff as he eyed the piece of plastic. "I see you don't have a picture yet. I've seen you before through the cameras, so it's not a problem with _me_ , but," he said, "if anyone else were to come along, they'd have no idea who you are. That's a concern."

She slowly released his hand. "I stay upstairs ninety-nine percent of the time so it doesn't matter," she replied, which must not have been a good answer based on Happy's scowl.

"It's procedure that everyone has a picture on with their card."

Her fingers dug into the cardboard. "Pepper gave me the card, and she's much higher up than you on the totem pole, so I think it will be okay."

"All due respect to her, she's not the Head of Security," he said.

Saniya huffed, blowing strands of hair as she did so. "Okay. Fine. Whatever. Take my picture and get it over with."

His body, which had been coiled like a spring, relaxed. Happy gestured to the plain white wall behind the desk by the secretary doing his best to ignore them. She glared into the camera of his phone.

Happy nodded as if her picture didn't look like an angry inmate's mugshot. "I'll bring up a new card when it's ready."

He leaned against the counter, watching her with an expression she was familiar with. Saniya felt herself easing back into the role as a single ready to mingle. Sure, he pissed her off, but what harm was there in a little flirting? She needed practice to get back in the game anyways. Her failure with Bruce was a huge sign that her skills needed some fine tuning.

Plus, Happy seemed relatively uninteresting. Considering her choice of men lately, she could do with some bland.

She almost winced at her own thought process. Saniya felt like a manipulative jerk for even thinking such things. Loki had been pretty close in his evaluation of her.

He tilted his head. "Mr. Stark never mentioned what you did for him. Is it lab work, or stuff like that?"

Saniya picked up the box. "Something like that." She raised an eyebrow. "I can tell you all about it over coffee sometime."

Happy beamed, covered his mouth with a fake cough, then toned it down to a friendly, non-creepy smile. "That sounds great. Come find me when you want to. I'll be here. Probably working."

"I will," she said. "Keep us safe in the meantime, Mr. Head-of-Security."

"I'm good at my job, so you can bet on it." His eyes widened when she began to make her way to the elevators. He yanked the box out of her arms rougher than he meant to. "Let me walk you to the elevator. The after-lunch rush can be brutal."

They walked through the almost empty lobby until they reached the elevators. She got into one while Happy kept a disgruntled man from entering by pointing to his badge and repeating "Head of Security".

Saniya grabbed the box of mysterious items. "Thanks, Happy."

She was sure that if he had a hat, he'd tip it like they did in the 1800's. "You're welcome. I'm happy to help out."

The doors closed and her smile dropped. Happy was nice, but he wasn't Bruce. No matter what she thought of him, she still made plans with him. Great. She hadn't even meant to, it just slipped out. At least she'd eventually get coffee out of this whole thing.

Whatever Pepper ordered rattled in the box as they moved upwards. It sounded like metal smacking against the side, which caught her interest. What sort of stuff did she buy?

The elevator was slowing to a stop. She glanced at the floor number and frowned. It was nowhere near the floor she was meant to be at.

"Jarvis?"

 _"Miss Ramakrishna, please do not panic."_

Her blood ran cold. That was the single worst thing he could have said to her at the moment. "I'm sort of panicking now that you said that," she said.

 _"You do not need to be alarmed. Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark have been notified, along with Agent Romanoff. It is pending approval of whether Mr. Hogan needs to be contacted."_

"Notified of what?" Her voice was turning slightly hysterical. Jarvis picked up on that and began to play soft Classical music over the speakers. "Jarvis!" she snapped, despite the calming tune. "What is going on? I am going to go crazy if you don't tell me."

 _"There is an unidentifiable device in the box you are carrying. I advise you do not move if possible."_

Saniya sighed. "It's probably just a vibrator, honestly, Jarvis."

 _"Mr. Hogan has confirmed that Ms. Potts' package has been delivered moments ago. The box you are carrying is from an unknown sender with no visible address or labeling."_

Her mouth fell into a deep frown. She had picked up the wrong box. That itself wasn't a huge deal if there wasn't the looming threat of what was inside. Or the mystery person Happy argued with.

She made a huge mistake, didn't she?

Though her laugh was forced, it gave a sense of normalcy to the situation. "What's the worst that could be in here? Just bring the elevator down and I'll give it back to Happy. Maybe the delivery woman is still hanging around."

Jarvis remained silent for an unnerving amount of time. _"From what I can analyze, it has a strong resemblance to an explosive device. Once again, there is no need to be alarmed."_

Explosive device. A freaking bomb in simpler terms. Much like the one that blew up the hotel. And to make everything worse, she was the one who brought it further into the building. If it exploded, it was on her.

Saniya closed her eyes. "I think you should bring me up to Bruce. He might know what to do."

 _"I agree. SHIELD is sending an expert to the tower. It will only be ten minutes."_

The elevator was moving again, much slower than usual. When the door opened, Bruce and Tony were standing on the other side.

Tony smirked but it looked forced. "So, Pepper sent you to get our special box, didn't she?"

She couldn't find it in herself to smile back. "Sorry I got a box of bombs instead of dildos."

"We don't know if it's a bomb," Bruce said, probably purposely ignoring the dildo part. "Tony, I know nothing about explosives."

"Same here." He scratched his chin. "But it couldn't hurt to take a peek at what's inside."

Bruce frowned, placing himself between her and Tony. "It could, actually. If it's rigged to go off when it's opened..."

"Kaboom," Tony finished.

"Can we please not talk about blowing up while I'm holding a bomb?" Saniya cried out. "Can I set it down? Please? Happy and I carried it just fine to the elevator without it exploding, so I should be okay."

Bruce and Tony shared a look that didn't make her feel any more confident about the situation. Saniya decided that was a resounding "no" to setting the box down

 _"Sir, several SHIELD agents have arrived and begun the evacuation of the building. An explosives specialist is planned to arrive in approximately five minutes."_

Tony swore under his breath. "I need to watch their grubby, bug placing hands. Sit tight, Sani. Bruce'll take good care of you." He ran the fastest she had ever seen him move to the other elevator on the floor, leaving just Bruce and Saniya.

Saniya found that it was easier to cope if she kept her eyes on Bruce. He met her eyes with a tense grin. "You're going to be okay."

Instead of responding like a normal person, her mouth felt this was the perfect time to dig up dirt without permission from her brain. But, she supposed, she might as well get answers if she was trapped with him. "Am I not good enough?"

Bruce froze.

"I mean, I know I'm not smart. Definitely not on your level, and I guess I'm not the nicest person. I'm also so stubborn that I annoy myself sometimes and," She stopped. "You know what? Nevermind. I totally get why you pushed me away. I'm awful."

"Don't say that. You're not."

Saniya frowned. "Stop. I don't want you to tell me that I'm not as bad as I say I am or... or I don't know. Lately, I've been thinking about what type of person I am and, well, I'm not the best." She nodded to herself. "I'm flawed and I'm okay with that, but you deserve someone better. Maybe like a lady scientist or something."

"Saniya—"

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable and came onto you. I'm sorry," she burst out, slivers of panic finding itself back into her body. "If I get blown up by this stupid bomb, I want you to know that I get it. I'm not the type of person you're looking for."

He straightened his glasses, mouth drawn into a tight line. "Is that why you think I pushed you away?"

She blinked. "Well, yeah."

Bruce took a step towards her, conscious of the box. "We are not a good match. Ignoring this age gap between us, it isn't great a pair made in heaven."

Her face scrunched. "I know. That's what I literally was just saying."

He shook his head. "You have it backwards," Bruce said. "You put me on a pedestal I'm not worthy of. I'm dangerous—"

"Don't start with this again," she interrupted. "God, I think I got this self-deprecation thing from you and you're honestly the best man I have ever met." His mouth opened as if to argue, but she was quick to speak first. "Now I'm confused. I thought you didn't like the kiss or me. Which one is it?"

"I liked it," he replied. "It was nice, but..." Bruce drifted off when he saw her expression fall into a glower. His face became more relaxed like there wasn't a bomb and it was a light conversation. "I like both you and the kiss. You're amazing in your own way. Humans were made flawed, some more than others." He gestured to himself and that did not make Saniya happy one bit. It was one thing for her to talk bad about herself, but to hear him say things like that about himself? That was just wrong.

Causing both of them to feel like they were having a mini heart attack, the box began to beep. Saniya threw it out of her hands as Bruce yanked her towards him. Everything moved in slow motion as he shielded her with his body.

Waiting.

Nothing happened.

The box continued to beep, but there was no explosion. Even after a minute passed of them waiting for anything to happen, the box was still intact. Jarvis shut the elevator door as his own way of shielding them if anything happened.

But, nothing did.

Saniya was the first to break the silence with a mix of a sob and laugh. She grabbed his partially green face and tugged it down to hers. Unlike the first kiss, he was more responsive, one of his hands resting on her back and another on her cheek.

Bruce didn't hate her. Bruce liked her kisses. Bruce was willing to shield her with his body.

He deserved to have someone kiss his brains out, because, damn, he was one hell of a man.


	23. Chapter 22

**Hey guys, so this is the last chapter of part 1(plus an epilogue), but don't be scared. I'm continuing part 2 right off of this story so if it's on your alert list or bookmarked, just keep doing what you do. I'm thinking maybe 4 parts in total, depending on whether I feel like it needs to be longer or not, so you guys can plan on that.**

 **Should I up the story to M rating? There isn't really any sexual content but I'm wondering if I should because of the violence. I'll think about it but I want to hear your guy's thoughts.**

 **Also, I want to thank everyone for any sort of support you have given me, whether you've reviewed or just lurked and read through the chapters. I really appreciate it. Reading your guys' reviews and getting emails whenever someone favorites my story makes me so happy :) I love all of you.**

 **If you have any questions, don't be afraid to PM me.**

* * *

"STARK!" The tower shook with thunder as Thor advanced on the all-too-calm billionaire. Tony's hand tightened around his glass of whiskey but kept his face neutral.

"Thor, stop it," Saniya called out from the other side of the room Bruce was keeping her trapped in. Well, not trapped, but he was holding her hand so it was essentially that. But, when Thor grabbed Tony by the collar, she decided it might be best to intervene, even if it meant letting go of Bruce.

Bruce grabbed her by the waist before she could get anywhere. Perhaps he was right in keeping her from getting between Thor and Tony, but she still slapped his hands away. "Thor!"

"You claimed that this is the safest building in all of Midgard," Thor seethed. "You've boasted of your ingenuity, but still did not stop a threat from entering your own home."

"Trust me," Tony wheezed, "I'm just as upset about it as you are."

Steve's eyes widened as he walked in the room, only to see Thor pressing Tony into the wooden bar. "Let go of him," he ordered. And when Thor didn't make any move to do so, Steve began making his way towards them. Thor pushed Tony away and began pacing.

Jane held out a hand to Thor but he brushed her off.

Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony, who only held up his hands. "I honestly didn't do anything. I'm sure Jarvis filled you in on the bomb situation."

He nodded. "Yes but—"

"Stark," Thor boomed, "you have failed. I have relied on you to keep Lady Saniya, Lady Marsha, and Jane safe. There is a complex security of this tower I do not fully comprehend, but it was thwarted by a simple box!"

"If it's anyone's fault, it's Pepper's for making me go down and get the box in the first place," Saniya spoke up. The glare Tony shot her was hotter than the sun. She frowned. "Okay, you know what? It's not even her fault. It's whatever jerk that sent the package in the first place. So, instead of trying to scare Tony, you superheroes find a way to track that person down."

He gritted his teeth but the tension in his brow was lifting. "If Stark Tower was as magnificent as he had claimed it to be, that fiend would have never entered the building."

Tony downed the rest of his whiskey. "I'll work on it. You're not the only one here with people to protect." He reached behind the bar for a refill. "I'll make Happy go through every incoming package if I have to."

This time, Thor let Jane embrace him. He rested his forehead on the top of her head. "I will feel better if this is remedied now."

"Sure, big guy. We can brainstorm for a bit and maybe do a little detective work. Brucie? Coming?"

The scientist glanced towards Saniya. "Will you be alright?"

Saniya leaned against Marsha. "Yeah. I'm just going to take a nap."

One simple nod and then he left, along with Jane, Thor, Tony, and Steve, all to reassess the security of the tower. Hopefully, they'd also find whoever made the "bomb". That would ease weight off of everyone's shoulders.

Marsha wrapped her arms around herself. "I never knew how terrifying Thor could be," she confessed.

"He didn't mean anything by it. He's just a giant... teddy bear... who makes buildings shake with his yells." A frown of her own crossed her lips. "Not scary at all."

It was a little scary, they both later admitted. She was infinitely glad Thor was on their side.

* * *

Agent Klemmer stormed down the length of the warehouse with an uneasy agent trailing behind. The ferocity behind the slap of her shoes was powerful enough for everyone to fall silent as she passed. When the silence passed, whispers began. Agent Klemmer had to hold herself back from turning around and showing them what she thought of their irritating whispers.

The metal stairs rattled with each stomp. The man behind her looked like he was about to faint or throw himself down the steps to avoid her wrath. She nearly shattered the glass in her office door when she flung it open. Agent Klemmer plopped in her chair while the agent sat in front of her.

"You went against procedure. You are trained better than this," she snarled. "Milhouse, you will look at me while I'm speaking!"

Agent Milhouse pried his eyes off of the ground. "Ma'am, may I explain?"

She leaned back in her chair, it squeaking as she did so. Milhouse flinched at the sharp noise. "Please. Tell me your explanation of why you threw all care out the window and _did not_ take alternate routes or even bother to check if you were followed."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "The bomb wasn't actually a bomb, so we didn't see a threat in it. It was a false alarm."

Agent Klemmer found herself blankly staring at Milhouse. She steepled her hands to keep herself from lashing out like she so desperately wanted to. "Yes, a false alarm designed to distract. People do not leave fake bombs in buildings for no reason. And, because of you, you may have led a dangerous felon to a SHIELD base." Her lips curled in a sneer. "SHIELD did not become as powerful as it is today by naïve agents doing whatever they want. I will have your job for this."

His mouth fell open. "B-But, don't you think that's paranoid to think it was to distract us? I-I think the threat was more directed towards Stark. I need my job. I really do!"

"Get out of my office." Judith flicked her hand towards the door. He slowly rose from his seat, mouth opening and closing. "Out!"

The door slammed shut, leaving her alone at last. She rubbed her temples. SHIELD was an organization of espionage, not careless oafs. If Milhouse was followed, they would have a large problem on their hands. SHIELD had a lot of enemies that would jump at a chance to find the warehouse. She was tempted to fire Milhouse immediately.

But, she wasn't heartless. Right before her eyes, his heart had broken at the thought of not being a part of SHIELD and it struck a chord in her. Deep down. _Really_ deep.

The fact was that she wasn't sure if someone had followed him or not. It was all assumptions. Would it be right to fire someone based on a maybe? But, the chance was too huge to ignore. Anyone, even a curious bystander could have followed him, leaving them compromised. She sifted through the files on her computer until she pulled up the 'request for termination' template. Yes, she decided, Milhouse would have to find a new job.

"Klemmer!" A woman in her late forties, her name either Mabel or Martha, burst into her office, face red from running. "The back door was broken open several minutes ago while Garth was taking his smoke break. There's someone in the building."

She stood by her desk. Milhouse was definitely fired. "Set off the silent alarm. I want everyone accounted for." The woman nodded. "Don't spook the intruder. I want this done quietly."

"Of course."

She pulled up any security footage she could find on the backdoor. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she looked through the footage from several minutes ago.

 _That couldn't... that didn't make any sense_.

This was too far above her skill set. Agent Klemmer called the first person she could think of. _She'd_ know how to handle this.

* * *

Saniya was telling the truth when she said she was going to take a nap, but it wasn't her fault that she couldn't fall asleep. She was so mentally tired. Unfortunately, that exhaustion didn't seem to translate into the physical sort. Almost a half hour after Thor's outburst, she was lying on the couch, eyes glued shut but mind wide awake.

"Klemmer, you're making no sense."

She almost bolted up from the couch at the sound of the name.

"She's dead. Don't you don't understand what happens after you jump out of an airplane midflight?" Natasha said.

There was a long pause. "Fine. I'll head over to the warehouse but... Was that gunshots? Stay where you are. I'll be there soon."

Saniya shut her eyes as Natasha ran past the couch to the elevator. She heard Natasha stop at the foot of the couch. Several seconds later, she was walking to the elevator. As soon as she heard the doors shut, Saniya was on her feet.

 _Indali. It had to be Indali_.

The dread growing in her stomach didn't help to calm her nerves. She knew it was her. Ignoring the comment about jumping out of planes, Saniya still would have known. She didn't believe in psychic premonitions or anything, but she felt a sort of alarm in the back of her head. Indali was going to be in a lot of trouble.

A distinct sense of duty washed over her as if Marsha had been the one in trouble. Indali may scare her, but they were still sisters. And if she had the ability to stop her, it was her responsibility to do so. Or, at least, make sure SHIELD didn't put a bullet through her head.

Indali may have been a murderer, but she deserved more than that.

She hesitated on calling the number. Would she answer? Probably not. Would it hurt to try? No. Saniya lifted the phone to her ear. And much to her surprise, Dorie actually answered.

" _Saniya, oh my god, you're still alive. I heard about the bomb and some people were saying it went off while others were saying it was a dud,_ " Dorie gasped into the phone. " _You don't know how happy I am that you called_. _I wanted to call first but I just got back from the helicarrier._ "

"It wasn't even a bomb," Saniya said softly. Dorie inhaled sharply at the sound of her voice. "It was this weird alarm clock thing that Jarvis _thought_ was a bomb."

" _Are you okay? Nobody's hurt, right?_ "

"Only Stark's pride." Saniya switched ears. "I need your help. I know we're still sort of mad at each other but you're the only person I can think of at the moment."

" _I'm not even mad anymore, honestly. I spent the last half hour coming up with things I would say at your funeral, so I'm not in the mood to yell. Whatever you need, you got it_."

"I need a ride to a SHIELD warehouse to stop my crazy sister from killing everyone."

" _What_."

She dug her toes into the carpet in a circular motion. "Can you please just come to the tower and give me a ride. Do you know where any SHIELD warehouse is?"

" _There's only on in the city and I do. I... I don't know. I'm not supposed to do things like that. It's a classified location for a reason."_

"Dorie, you said whatever I need and I _need_ this."

Dorie sighed. "What is so important in that warehouse?"

"Unfinished business," Saniya said. "Please, Dorie. I called you because I knew you could do it."

She imagined Dorie was not so happy to hear from her anymore. " _Fine. I'll do it. But_ _how're_ _you going to get out of the tower_?"

Her eyes drifted to the balcony. "Let me handle it.

And that was where Marsha found her ten minutes later. The bra that Natasha had given her several weeks ago that was supposed to protect her from knives jabbed into her bruises. Saniya couldn't stay still without her ribs aching. Her body was half off the railing and she was twirling a grappling hook around her finger. She weighed the pros and cons of escaping via grappling hook.

One major flaw, that Marsha made sure to point out, was that the rope wasn't long enough. She'd have to free-fall several stories, which wouldn't be that big of a deal if Marsha didn't look terrified at the idea. Plus, it'd probably take more than five seconds, so any mistake she made would be fatal.

But, unfortunately, she didn't have much of a Plan B. The grappling hook was pretty much her only option.

She banged her fist on the elevator door. "Jarvis," she whined, " _please_. I won't tell anyone if you let me out."

" _I apologize, but you are not authorized to leave the tower_."

"I know. You've said that at least twenty times." Saniya stopped banging on the metal for a moment, a thought coming into her head. "Do I still have authorization for the lobby?"

 _"_ _Ms. Potts has forgotten to revoke your access. A memo has been created to do so."_

Marsha stared at the ceiling. "Can I go to the lobby with her?"

" _No._ "

Saniya swore. Marsha wanted to come with her, but she was running out of ideas and they were on a time limit. It might be better to leave her behind.

"What floors does she have access to?" she asked.

" _The cafe on the second floor, the labs, this floor, and the gym_."

Maybe she'd get to use her grappling hook after all. Saniya pressed the down button. "We want to go to the cafe. We're really stressed and need a cup of coffee."

" _To battle stress, I do not recommend caffeine. Perhaps scented candles and a bath instead?"_

Marsha's eyebrows came together. "We don't have time for coffee."

"Trust me on this," she told her. Saniya tried to soften her face so she didn't look as frustrated as she felt. "Coffee will help calm me down, Jarvis. I promise we'll get decaf if that makes your robot heart happy."

" _Very well."_

Marsha and Saniya rode the elevator down to the cafe, a place neither of them had been before. Saniya was thinking over any way they could escape, ways that matched with her capabilities. Several came to mind, each more elaborate than the rest. But the simplest was them was to leave Marsha behind, go to the lobby, and bum rush the front doors. She'd be upset, but she'd get over it. Right?

Saniya glanced at her sister. Her face was set with a determination she had never seen in Marsha. Saying no to her was harder than before. There had to be another way out of the tower for the both of them.

Her fingers brushed against the grappling hook hanging by her side. The gears in her brain rotated. Maybe she could make good use of it after all.

"They're going to be angry," Marsha said. "Especially since this is right after the bomb, Thor's going to be upset."

It was not her intention to upset Thor, but Marsha was right. If she continued with this, he was going to be angry with her.

She must had seen her face, because Marsha grabbed her hand. "He'll understand," she said. "I'm sure he feels the same way about Loki. He'll get it."

Saniya looped her arm through hers. Together, they walked into the cafe and simultaneously wrinkled their noses at the smell of bad coffee. Clint could make a better batch in the coffee maker upstairs, and that smelt horrendous.

Other than the stench, it was a typical coffee shop. Men and woman, some with lab coats and others in pantsuits struggled to keep awake. Some were so tired that even the sludge incorrectly called coffee was appealing. Then, there were those few peppy employees who happily scarfed down scones. Awake or nearly asleep, everyone was in their own world. The only person who bothered to look their way was the barista.

Saniya took out her grappling hook and attached it to the leg of a table. Then, she opened the window. She felt a slight resistance as she widened it. Maybe Jarvis was still keeping tabs on them.

Marsha glanced towards the concrete outside. "Please tell me we're not doing what I think we're doing."

She pressed the table against the wall below the window. Her hand had to keep Jarvis from closing the window completely. "We're on the second floor. It's not that high up. We could jump and be just fine."

"I suppose."

The barista lifted his eyebrows as they held onto the grappling hook. Saniya wasn't sure if it could hold two people at the same time, but they were very soon about to find out.

"How does this work?" Marsha asked.

Saniya shrugged. "I think we just jump."

Marsha set her jaw with a determined nod. Saniya pulled roughly on the line. The knot she tied didn't come loose, so it was most likely okay. Probably.

The table dug into the wall as they leaned out the window. The couple closest to them began to give them weird looks. Somewhere in the back of the cafe, there was murmuring.

The barista came out from behind the counter. "Come on. Get back in the building before I call security."

Before he could reach them, they jumped. The line caught, letting them repel down at a manageable speed. Saniya smacked into the building while Marsha smacked into her. Together, they slid down the side of Stark Tower. That is until the grappling hook jammed and sent them falling the rest of the way.

Saniya looked up to see it dangling five feet above her. _Dang it_. The barista and several customers stared down at them with wide eyes. An elderly woman was covering her mouth with her hands.

She tugged Marsha to her feet. "Are you okay?"

Marsha gave a loopy grin. "That was sort of fun." She straightened her clothes. "Where's... um... I think her name is Dorie?"

Saniya shielded her eyes from the early afternoon sun. "She has to be somewhere."

A standard SHIELD car, black with tinted windows, pulled up next to them. She didn't question it and got in. Dorie lifted a pair of sunglasses, resting them on the top of her head.

"Nice ride."

Dorie smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure that it's bugged. But it was free, so I'm not complaining."

Her mouth fell open as she rubbed the leather seats. "SHIELD gave you a free car? They didn't offer me one." She had to force herself from getting distracted by the car. If she had the same job as she did four-ish years ago, she'd be dying to take it apart. "So, warehouse?"

Dorie drove away from the tower just over the speed limit, but it was still too slow for Saniya. Her fingers were tapping on the steering wheel. "I'm not sure about this. People from work are saying that something bad is happening there."

"The same people that told you a bomb exploded in Stark Tower?"

She scowled. "But every rumor has a grain of truth."

Marsha leaned forward in the backseat. "I don't care if something bad is happening. We have to help our sister."

She pressed a tad too hard on the brakes. Saniya winced as her seatbelt locked.

"Sister? _Our sister_?"

"I'll explain later," Saniya promised. "Can you just drive? Please?"

Though her face had morphed into a mean scowl, Dorie kept driving in what Saniya hoped was the right direction. Her feet kicked at the lining on the floor of the car.

"How do you even know where the warehouse is?"

Dorie sighed. "I was demoted and now I see hundreds of papers each day. Someone came in to file a map from the 90's and now I'm an expert on 20th century New York."

She wanted to focus on the part where Dorie was leading them based on outdated information, but she was stuck on the fact that she was demoted. "The hell? You're the smartest person there. You should have been given a promotion."

Dorie shrugged. "I have less pay and benefits, but I like my job. All I have to do is read all day. Sometimes Fury calls and asks about old mission papers. It fits me better."

"Demotion though?" Saniya scowled through the window. "The next time I see that Fury jerk, I'm complaining so much that he'll promote you to the director of archives or something like that."

Marsha tilted her head. "Is that a real job?"

"I don't know!" she threw up her hands. "But mark my words, that'll be your new job."

Dorie hid a smile. "Thanks, Sani. I'll... What the?"

The warehouse was familiar. It was where Agent Klemmer took her after Christopher's kidnapping attempt. This time, instead of appearing vacant, it was surrounded by people in riot gear. Several black vans provided cover from the windows, and must have been doing a good job based on the number of bullet holes. Several of the windows were shattered. Pieces of glass scattered the outside of the warehouse, along with a gruesome blood stain. Natasha and Clint were talking into a headpiece and wearing bulletproof vests over their SHIELD uniforms. They, along with a couple of unknown agents stood behind the vans.

Marsha covered her mouth, eyes soaking in every detail. "What did she do?"

Dorie's fingers brushed against the end of her coat in a failed attempt to yank Saniya back in the car. Marsha followed soon after, reaching for her hand like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

Clint saw them first. His trained eyes narrowed on them. He tapped Natasha's arm. The Black Widow was just as _overjoyed_ to see them as Clint was. They gestured to them with a sharp flick of their fingers. Quite reluctantly, the two women made their way over.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I can't tell whether to be proud or to slap you for being so idiotic. You broke out of the tower and came here, of all places."

"We're sorry," Marsha blurted, "but we had to."

Clint spun an arrow between his fingers. He used it the pointing end to gesture to someone behind them. "Let me guess, Hughes helped you with your breakout."

She glanced behind her to see a paling Dorie under the assassins' glares. Dorie cleared her throat. "I just drove them here," she defended. "I didn't know what was happening."

Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hughes, go somewhere, anywhere else. We will deal with you later." Dorie looked like she was about to snap back, but she dipped her head and did as she was told. "Why are you two here?"

Saniya managed a wry smile. "Surprise. I have another sister."

Clint threw back his head. "If you say it's Indali I'm going to—"

"It's her."

"Crap." He rubbed his face. "And, what? What are doing here, then?"

Before either Marsha or Saniya could answer, an arm reached out of one of the shattered windows and sprayed bullets with a machine gun. Natasha pulled them closer to the vans as the rest of the agents scrambled for cover. Clint notched an arrow in his bow. There was a small click as the last bullet was shot. He leaned over the hood of the van. And, with expert precision, lodged an arrow in the person's hand.

Saniya's blood froze as she heard the familiar howl of pain, feeling her own hand begin to throb. She locked eyes with Marsha. "I'm going in."

"I'm going with you," Marsha rushed out.

It wasn't like she could say no. Especially with the hopeful she was giving her. So, Saniya nodded and grabbed her hand, determined to keep Marsha as safe as she could.

There wasn't a plan further than run into the warehouse. She wasn't even entirely sure what she had hoped to achieve by coming here in the first place, but she still acted. Natasha yelled when they ran out from behind the vans but didn't chase after them.

The hand reached out of the window, covered in blood. Her legs pumped faster when she saw the glint of a gun. For a moment, time slowed. Everything crawled like snails but she was fast. Dragging Marsha behind her was like running with a parachute.

Dust sprayed upwards as the bullets crawled out of the machine gun, hitting the ground around them. Saniya ducked just in time to avoid being shot in the head. When they pushed open the door of the warehouse, her chest was on fire.

"She shot at us," Marsha gasped. "Why would she do that?"

They flinched at the echoing of gunshots in the warehouse. She assumed everyone had evacuated given the empty warehouse. But, on the top of a set of metal stairs, a small sliver of light came through the crack in a door. A small splatter of blood sat at the bottom of the staircase, a reminder —if either had somehow forgotten— of the dangerous situation they put themselves into.

Saniya considered bolting back the way they came. "This wasn't a good idea," she whispered. "What were we thinking? She's going to kill us."

Marsha tightened her hand. "I'm not leaving without Indali. We came here for her." But, the hopeful glance she gave her looked more like a " _you go get her_ ". Marsha was brave, but not brave enough to do _that_.

Saniya scanned the room for a metal bar or something she could defend herself with. Her fist pumped in victory. They had won the lottery of abandoned weapons. She picked up a gun that someone had carelessly left in the middle of the warehouse. Saniya turned it in her hands. "Stay here in case anyone comes in. I'll... try to get her."

"Are you going to shoot her?"

She didn't want to look back at her sister. Instead, she focused on gathering enough courage to take steps towards the door. "Maybe."

"You can't!" Marsha cried. "She's our sister. Please don't shoot her."

The gun was heavy in her hand. _Would she do it? Would she shoot Indali?_ The answer was easy. So easy that it almost made her feel bad that she didn't have the same repulsion to it that Marsha did. "I will if I have to." Her hand slid against the railing. "I'm not going to die because of her."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Marsha blanch and nod hastily. Marsha sister couldn't look at her anymore. She sighed. Why couldn't she understand that she might have to do it?

But, this made Saniya glad it was her going upstairs instead of Marsha. She hadn't seen Indali at her worst. She didn't _know_ what she could do. Marsha wasn't prepared to do what was necessary. She didn't have it in her to pull the trigger.

In a way, Saniya did. The thought of putting a bullet in Indali's skull was met with a sense of uneasiness, but she was prepared to do so. She _would_ do it, and maybe it was the willingness to do so that bothered her.

She wasn't a killer, so why was it such an easy choice?

Someone had shattered the door knob so it couldn't lock anymore. It pushed open with no resistance. The gun entered the room first with Saniya following. A woman leaning up against the desk, hand pressing on the hole in her leg, locked eyes with her. She began shaking her head.

Not just any woman. It was Agent Klemmer.

Indali was facing the window. She leaned forward to look at the surrounding buildings. In the sunlight, something flashed above one of the buildings. _Sniper_. Indali stepped away from the window and turned around. Her eyes, a soulless black, widened when she saw Saniya standing in the doorway. She leveled her machine gun at her head.

"Indali?" Saniya squeaked, her hands held out in front of her. Her feet shuffled backwards. Agent Klemmer smacked the back of her head against the desk and rolled her eyes.

The space between Indali's eyebrows creased slightly.

"I know you don't want to shoot me," she said. "Remember me? I'm Saniya. You _really_ don't want to shoot me."

To her relief, the blackness began to fade to a dark brown. "How could I forget my sister?" Instead of being a rhetorical question, it sounded sincere. Indali dropped the gun on the edge of the desk. "I promise I will take you and Marsha away as soon as I figure out who killed Christopher." Taking the place of the gun, Indali twirled a dagger in her fingers. "I have to know before we can go anywhere together."

It was the movement of a predator, of a _murderer_ , as she stroked the knife alongside Agent Klemmer's face, leaving a thin cut behind. "I hope you're done trying to run," Indali said.

Agent Klemmer's jaw clenched but not a word left her lips.

"I suppose so. One knife to the spine seemed to do the trick."

"Stop it."

Indali looked up and slowly rose to her feet. Her head tilted at an odd angle.

Saniya tightened her grip on the gun. "You don't have to do this."

"I do. I do. I do. I do." Indali inhaled through her nose. "These feelings I have are too powerful to fight. I do have to do this because if I don't, who will? When will Christopher get justice?"

"Maybe he doesn't deserve justice. Now stop it and I'll try to get SHIELD not to kill you right away," she snapped. Indali's face contorted into a grimace and her knuckles turned white from her grip on the knife. Behind her, Agent Klemmer was cautiously reaching for the gun abandoned on the desk.

She stepped towards her. "What did you say?" Indali bared her teeth. "I thought you were a good person. I _thought_ you would understand."

Saniya gulped, coming to the realization of how much she messed up with one sentence. In retrospect, she should have chosen her words more carefully. "Christopher wasn't a good man, okay? He—"

Indali lunged. Her speed and strength were incredible. Indali was pinning her against the wall and stabbing her stomach before she could register what was happening. The material of the vest poked at her torso but did its job to stop the blade. "You didn't know him like I did," she hissed, her eyes a deep black. "He was a good man. He was better than..." Indali blinked. The knife stopped putting pressure on her stomach. "Saniya. I... I didn't mean—"

Agent Klemmer lifted the machine gun and aimed at Indali's back. The aim was clumsy, but one unlucky bullet found its way through Indali's head and into the wall. Her sister fell limp against her.

She suddenly couldn't breathe.

"What... what did you... do?" Saniya held her sister close. Though she was being threatened just moments before, she felt her heart rip in two. Indali didn't deserve this. She didn't. The funny thing was that she knew she would be thinking the opposite if it was anyone but her sister. The small detail that they were related was the only thing keeping her from hating Indali.

 _She doesn't deserve this._

Her eyes drooped shut and time pulled back. She watched the bullet re-enter Indali's skull and exit back into the gun. Agent Klemmer's hand was inches away from it now.

 _"_ _Saniya. I... I didn't mean—"_

Using all the strength she could, she and Indali tumbled to the floor. Five fresh bullets zipped into the wall where their bodies had been. All progress she had made was gone, though. Maybe it was the fall or the sound of gunshots but Indali wasn't lucid anymore. Her eyes turned a startling black and she barely gave her a second glance as she bolted out the door.

Agent Klemmer's eyes narrowed on Saniya. She froze when she realized the gun was pointed at her. Klemmer's fingers skimmed across the trigger, then she lowered the barrel with a sigh.

They watched each other cautiously as Saniya picked up the gun she dropped during Indali's attack. Neither of them breathed until she backed out of the room.

Saniya followed Indali's path down the stairs. A high-pitched noise made her ears feel like bleeding. The concrete in the warehouse was cracking like shattered glass.A knife was in Marsha's stomach and

A knife was in Marsha's stomach and _so much_ blood was oozing out. And that knife was held by a hand, and that hand belonged to Indali. It was a thoughtless action when she aimed her gun at Indali's head.

One breath. Two breath. Then she squeezed the trigger.

Suddenly, it made sense why the gun had been discarded. An unnatural clacking sound came from the barrel. Marsha fell to the ground as Indali looked up.

 _When you fail, try, try again_. She pulled the trigger only to hear the same noise. Indali's eyes widened, slowly turning back to brown. "You were going to shoot me?" She stepped forward, her foot pressing on Marsha's chest. "Why?"

Saniya pulled the trigger again. Nothing happened. Tears began to run down her face. She'd use it as a blunt force weapon if she had to. "Look at what you did. Look!" she screamed.

And she did. Her mouth fell open as she saw a bleeding Marsha underneath. Marsha's eyes were brimming with pain. She wouldn't be conscious for much longer. Indali took several large steps away and realized that the blood on her hands was her sister's.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Saniya ran down the stairs. Immediately, Marsha reached out to her. Making her frown, the other hand reached towards Indali.

"Fuck you," Saniya spat. She pressed on Marsha's wound to try to stop the bleeding and silently contemplating whether it was better to leave the knife in or take it out. "If she dies because of you, I'll... I will..."

Marsha's bottom lip quivered. "Don't fight. Please don't fight." The breathy whispers were enough to make Saniya begin to sob. Silent tears ran down Indali's face. "If I... take care of Indali. We're family. You have to help her"

"Stop talking and save your strength," Saniya whimpered. "Okay?"

"Promise you will," she whimpered.

"No. I'm not making any last-promise-before-death because you're not dying today." Saniya glared at Indali. Her hands were shaking. "Get SHIELD. Tell them you're done with your killing spree."

Indali set her jaw. "But, Christopher—"

"You stabbed Marsha! She might die because of you!" Saniya cried. "This is your fault and you're going to fix it. Tell them we need an ambulance _now_."

Marsha blinked for an abnormal length of time. Saniya panicked and shook her shoulders, only to get a groan of pain in response. "Wake up. You have to stay awake." No movement. Was she still breathing? She stared at Marsha's torso for even the slightest sign of life. Marsha was breathing slower now. "You're going to be okay," she whispered.

Indali covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes were glistening.

"Do something!" Saniya yelled.

She looked like she was going to say something but chose not to. With one last parting glance, she dashed out the door of the warehouse.

Saniya waited for the gunshots, but they never came. Surely SHIELD would react with violence if Indali showed her face. Something banged against the warehouse door. It sounded like a body being slammed into it several times.

Her eyes suddenly opened, like she was sleeping and trying desperately to stay awake. "Where's..." Marsha strained out.

"Someone will be here soon. They'll help you."

Her eyes fluttered shut again. "... hurts."

Saniya's hands were covered in so much blood. Too much. "Stay awake, okay? Open your eyes." Marsha didn't move. "Marsha?" Nothing. "M-Marsha?"

The warehouse was flooded with light. Men in riot suits dashed into the building, splitting off into groups. One tried talking to her. His mouth kept moving but she couldn't make out any words.

Someone was dragging her away. A woman took her place next to Marsha while two other people brought in a stretcher.

Marsha wasn't moving.

Why wasn't she moving?

"Let go of me." Saniya tried to yank her arm out of his grasp. "I need to— let go!"

"Ma'am, please stay calm."

She immediately got in his face "Don't you dare tell me to calm down! I need to get back—"

"We will take good care of her."

The stretcher rolled past her and towards the ambulance parked alongside the warehouse. Marsha was so still and lifeless that Saniya felt like dying herself.

She'd never been more relieved to hear sirens because they never use those for dead people. Everything was going to be okay, she hoped. SHIELD was going to help Marsha. They'd help her. They had to.

* * *

Some man with puffy cheeks shone a light at her, asked her to follow it with her eyes. She just glared until he went away. Then, a woman came over and did the same thing. They kept talking about shock and trauma. Saniya just wanted them to shut up. Eventually, she left too. For once in her life, she was thankful to be alone. It was easier to cry without people surrounding you.

"Medics say you aren't cooperating." Natasha leaned against the ambulance prepared for her "just in case".

"When can I see her?" Saniya demanded. She wiped her eyes.

Something strange flickered over Natasha's face. She sat next to her, shoulder touching to shoulder. "That isn't the best idea right now. Especially since we don't know what sort of injuries you have." She placed a hand on her knee. "You need to cooperate."

Saniya lifted her chin. "I don't have to do anything."

The assassin sighed. "If ignored, these sort of things get worse. I used to avoid any sort of medic like the plague. I could take care of myself, so what was the point?" Natasha told her. "But, one day, I fell off a building. I was fine. I felt fine, but Clint was hysterical. So, for him, I got an x-ray and even wore this horrible green cast for four weeks. He was much less worried after I talked to a doctor."

"Are you trying to tell me to get checked out for your sake?"

Natasha smiled slightly. "For Marsha's sake," she amended. "She'd be worried if she knew you are avoiding help."

Pure manipulation. After everything that happened, it was unfair to use her sister as an incentive, but Saniya saw her point. She nodded.

"Good. You can be alone for a little while, though." Natasha's sharp eyes scanned her face. "Get your thoughts together." She stood up but didn't look close to leaving. "I watched the footage from the warehouse. The SHIELD database has a wireless link to the cameras. I mostly skimmed through it, but you know how to handle yourself, Ramakrishna. You might not think it, but you're perfect for SHIELD."

Natasha gently patted her shoulder. "To quote Clint, 'hang in there, kid'. You're a survivor, so start acting like it."

Hang in there, kid.

Saniya nodded slowly. Natasha was right.

She was a survivor.


	24. Epilogue

**Just in case you haven't been reading the author's notes, Part 2 will be connected to this story. So, Part 1 and Part 2 will be joined together. If you have this story bookmarked or follow it, all you have to do is sit tight. I still have to do some final planning on Part 2, but I'll have it up quickly.**

 **Thank you xoxo**

* * *

Epliogue

* * *

Marsha was crying. Streams of tears rushed down her face and fell on her blue hospital gown. Steve handed her a tissue. Marsha dabbed her eyes then burst into a huge smile.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," she bawled. Marsha leaned forward as much as she could. The wires from the machines and bandages kept her from going too far. Steve covered the rest of the distance to hug her, mindful of the IV.

Saniya stared at the papers, unsure of how she felt about them. Marsha would be going away. They'd most likely not see each other for a long time, if at all. She'd be alone if she left. Bruce had gone to Malibu with Tony and Pepper. Natasha and Clint often disappeared for days at a time. Thor wanted to show Jane Asgard. Even Steve was planning to move to D.C. after Marsha was discharged. That left only Dorie, but she was on the helicarrier most of the time.

She'd be alone.

But Marsha would be happy. Saniya rested her chin on a balled fist. It was hard to push away her selfish thoughts of forcing Marsha to stay with her. She would be happy with her family, and that was what really mattered.

Steve pulled away from the hug. "There's a lot of restrictions on what you can say and do, but it's the best I could get it. SHIELD isn't easy to compromise with."

Her smile was so bright that Saniya felt guilty for even considering shredding the contract. "I can't believe I'm going home. My family is going to be so happy." Marsha grabbed his hand. "Thank you. You're an amazing friend. How did you even get it?"

"Let's just say that the name Captain America still holds a lot of weight in SHIELD." His eyebrows drew together. Marsha was looking more lightheaded than usual. "Do you need anything?"

Her stomach growled loudly. Steve stood. "I'll get you something from downstairs," he said, prepared to bring her back the whole cafe.

"Pizza, please." Marsha's eyes lit up.

Marsha flipped through the contract as Steve left the room. She frowned at occasional sentence but was a bundle of joy nonetheless. Saniya watched the soldier leave. In a split second decision, she followed him out the door.

"Steve!" she yelled down the hallway. The soldier looked over his shoulder. Taken over by a wave of gratitude, she engulfed him in a hug. He was stiff, lightly patting her back.

"Thank you for taking care of her," she said. "You've done so much for her. Honestly, you're a saint."

He was the first to pull away, which made sense since he wasn't her biggest fan. But still, he patted her shoulder. "She's a nice kid. Marsha deserves it." He withdrew his hand and stuffed it in his front pocket. "I don't mean to overstep, but Marsha told me what happened with your parents." She scowled and Steve was quick to explain himself. "I understand it's not my place, but maybe you should call them, just to let them know you're okay."

Saniya crossed her arms with a glare, a quick change from the nice moment they just shared. "You _are_ overstepping. They don't—"

"I know, I know." He held out his hands. "She didn't tell me everything, but I know enough that I have to say something. After everything's that happened, it might be time to make amends."

 _Especially since I might not have much time left_ , she added to herself.

Steve shook his head. "Sorry, but Marsha going home got me thinking. I didn't mean to upset you."

She was glaring at a tile on the floor instead of Steve now. "I haven't talked to them in five years."

He nodded slowly. "They're probably dying to hear from you. Five years is too long."

Saniya couldn't find the words to reply. She didn't agree with him. They made it quite clear that they never wanted to hear from her after she left with Sammy. But, what if Steve had a point? It wouldn't hurt to let them know that she was still alive.

"Think about it." He began walking away. "I'll be back with Marsha's pizza in a bit."

She watched him go. When he went around the bend in the hallway, she took her phone out of her pocket. To call or not to call, that was the question. It would be a good way to get answers. There was so much confusion that she needed to be cleared up. What better way than going right to the source? She, at least, had to know why they forged a birth certificate to say that she was born in New York.

But, another part of her knew that she wanted to call because she still craved their approval. She wanted them to like her. She wanted them to hear about her new life and be proud. And for once, they might be. After all, she did build her life back up from nothing. That itself was an achievement she wanted to share, even if they were the reasons she had nothing in the first place.

Saniya scrolled to an old number she hadn't used in years. It was her parents' landline. She sighed. If she didn't call now, she was never going to.

It rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four times.

She was beginning to think they'd never answer.

" _Hello, you've reached the number of Varin and Diti Ramakrishna. Please leave a message_."

There was an odd sense of relief. She didn't have to confront them quite yet.

The phone beeped.

"I... uh... Hi," she said into the phone. "This is Saniya. I... please call me back as soon as you can. I still live in New York, so..." She sighed. "I love you guys. Please call me back."

She closed her phone and pressed her hand to her forehead. _I love you guys_. Why did she say that?

Maybe because she still loved them after all the years and fights.

Saniya felt herself tense at the revelation. She still loved them. No matter how much they ignored her, she still cared about them.

Seemed like she hadn't changed very much over the years.

She tucked her phone back in her pocket like nothing had happened. Now, she needed to spend as much time with her sister before they were separated. They were on a timer and she wanted to make it count.


	25. Part 2 — Chapter 1

**And we're back for part 2! I have it mostly planned out, but I don't know exactly how long this part will be. It will be around the same length as part 1, though, so 20 something chapters.**

 **Also, this takes place during Iron Man 3. If you haven't seen the movie, it might be confusing because I won't include every single scene. I don't like it when people literally rewrite the whole movie and I refuse to do that unless necessary. But, if there is a part confusing to you, PM me and I can explain. If you have seen the movie, there will be obvious changes. It will be sort of AU. So, buckle up because it'll be a wild ride.**

* * *

The flame licked the end of the cigarette until it began to burn a dim ember. She raised it to her lips and released a puff of smoke. It surrounded her head like a cloud, mixing with her breath. Her throat itched with the faintest cough that she quickly suppressed.

Saniya tapped her foot against the brick wall, sizing up the building across the street. There were cameras strategically positioned by the doorways, along with floodlights. All the windows on the first floor were pitch black, but the second was lit up like a Christmas tree. Every three minutes, a shadow passed the window. It was rhythmic and utterly predictable.

Looked like Agent Musa was going easy on her this week.

Her head rested back on the bricks. Inside the store she was loitering in front of, a customer was arguing with the cashier about the hike in price of cigarettes. Funny, the cashier hadn't charged her as much for her pack. Maybe it had something to do with her low-cut top.

 _"Any time now,"_ Agent Musa droned in her ear. Saniya looked down the street at the totally-not-suspicious black van.

She blew another puff of smoke. "I'm staking out the building. Gathering intel."

 _"_ _No,_ _you're not. You're forming a dangerous habit. I didn't arrange this so you would smoke all night."_

Saniya snuffed the cigarette out with the toe of her boot, then kicked some snow on it, just in case. She shrugged, despite knowing that Agent Musa couldn't see her. " _Fine_. I'm going. But, it was you who said I needed to take my time in the first place."

As she crossed the street (after almost dying because of a sneaky patch of ice), she zipped her leather jacket up to the base of her throat. She then stuffed her hair into her black beanie. Completing her sketchy outfit, she slipped a pair of leather gloves over her fingers. Though she looked like the typical burglar, she felt like a real spy. It was less exciting than wearing her SHIELD uniform, but it still made her feel like James Bond.

She stood further down the sidewalk to examine her options. The front door was a no-go. It had been locked about several hours ago. Even if she was a master locksmith, the camera would be hard to avoid. If she wanted to, she could climb to the roof and enter through the vents, but Clint had warned her about making things more difficult than they needed to be. She didn't have to make her criminal activity that fancy, so she was opting for the fire escape.

She made a wide circle around the building to avoid being seen by the cameras. The alley was dirty and she could have sworn someone was sleeping near the dumpster, but it was camera free.

 _"Is Agent Romanoff planning on showing up tonight?"_

"I... uh... not tonight," she answered lamely. "She can't make it." Saniya reached for the lowest rung of the fire escape. With her newly acquired upper-body strength, she pulled herself up the ladder, cringing at how cold the metal was.

Agent Musa's sigh was full of disappointment. _"She needs to show up to at least one of these otherwise I'm revoking her status as your SO and trainer."_

Saniya crouched under the second story window. "Don't do that," she whined as quietly as possible. "You know how much she wanted to come. She always looks forward to these nights."

 _"Don't lie to me, Ramakrishna."_

She suppressed a wince. Natasha only showed up when she needed to teach Saniya something new. When it came to the actual training part, she preferred Saniya to have what she called "independent studies". Though she was amazing at her job, Natasha wasn't a particularly attentive teacher. Saniya learned that the hard way when Natasha taught her how to properly punch and was out of the tower not even five minutes after. No, Nat wasn't one to stick around long.

So, it wasn't much of a surprise that she was MIA. In fact, Saniya was almost certain she and Clint were having a romantic getaway in Mexico. Or maybe they were there killing bad guys. Either way, they were probably making out.

Saniya peeked over the windowsill. Not a single person was seen from the limited view she had. She tried to lift open the window, just in case someone was stupid enough to leave it unlocked. It refused to budge.

Along the wood was a small black strip flashing a soft red. She reached into her jacket pocket, fingers brushing across coins and, finally, a handy black clip. Saniya stuck it to the window and crossed her fingers that the technology was old enough for this to work. SHIELD didn't consider her important enough to give her the fancy equipment that Natasha liked to flaunt. Basically, she had the spy equivalent to a flip phone. But, the old tech was on her side that night. Several seconds later, it was a dull green. She gave herself a high five. Security system bypassed. Now she was free to break the window however she wanted.

To be honest, Saniya was not prepared for this. If she had been, she would have brought a crowbar or maybe even a brick, but there were more than two ways to open a window. She clicked her heels together. The sweet sound of two blades swishing out from her boots gave her chills. She jammed the blade underneath the window as an improvised crowbar. With all her strength, she pulled upwards.

"Come on you stupid window," she hissed.

The window cracked open. Part of the frame was splintered, but it was open. Saniya ducked through her entry point, grabbed her clip, and tugged the window down before the light turned red.

She pressed her finger to her ear. "I'm in," she reported in the most stereotypical spy voice she could. Agent Musa didn't find it as amusing. "Where do I go now?"

 _"Maybe you should have spent the time you used for getting cancer to study the schematics."_

Saniya didn't argue. She was _sort of_ purposefully wasting time smoking.

 _"The information is in a windowless room. You're going in blind."_

Windowless. That usually meant in an interior room. Her eyes wandered to the vent above her head. She was small enough to fit and there would be no risk of being spotted by anybody. On the other hand, it would be painstakingly slow. She hadn't mastered the art of crawling through vents like Clint had.

A man turned the corner. His mouth opened as if to shout, but everything paused. Saniya's twisted her hand like she was breaking into a safe. With each turn, time reversed.

Her chest began to burn, but she gritted her teeth. It was easier to push through that now.

 _One more turn._

Saniya relaxed her hand. All the coiled stress in her chest loosened. There was the dull throb as if it was a muscle she hadn't used in a long time, but she didn't have a pounding headache like the first few times she tried this. She had truly grown over the months.

 _"How did you do that?"_ Agent Musa gasped. It was the closest thing to surprise Saniya had ever heard from the woman.

She made down the hallway, peering into the occasional unlocked door. "Do what?"

 _"You... Don't be coy with me. You were literally right outside the window a moment ago."_

Saniya smothered a smirk. The wood was still intact on the window. It was like she had never broken it in the first place. As much as she wanted to tell Musa that she bent time and space to her convenience, it was better to keep silent about her abilities. The small leverage she had over SHIELD was that they didn't fully know what she was capable of. That was something she would give up anytime soon. Besides, she didn't understand much about it either. Loki seemed to be more of a master of her abilities than she was.

She froze when she saw the camera at the end of the hallway. There was a long moment where she just stared at it until she noticed that nothing was happening. Nobody was rushing down the hallways. No alarms. Nada.

"Uh, are the cameras working?" Saniya whispered.

 _"The cameras are working fine. This is why I hate those warehouse agents. They constantly slack off if I'm not right on them."_

"They're nice," Saniya defended. "And they're trying their best. If you want to blame anyone, blame Agent Klemmer for training them."

 _"I'm not going to be the person who blames a paraplegic."_

While she didn't like the way she had put it, Agent Musa had a point. Even Saniya, not even six months into training and a huge skeptic of SHIELD, put more effort into her work than they did. But, ever since Klemmer lost feeling from the waist down because of a strategically placed knife, the warehouse headquarters had become a joke. Morale was low and work quality was even lower.

Saniya bit her tongue. Some things were not worth arguing about.

It wasn't hard to find the room Agent Musa was talking about. There were only so many places in the building with windowless rooms. Not to mention, there seemed to be only three guards roaming the halls. Whenever she came across one, she'd turn back time and continue on her way. Though it felt like she had a bad case of heartburn, everything was going smoothly.

There were maps lying around, only room numbers. But, luck had been on her side when she opened the right door. There was a large computer that looked like it had come right out of the 90's. A man wearing a too-tight tie watched the screens focused on the outside doors. To his left was footage from the cameras inside the building, completely ignored.

Saniya clicked her heels together. "It's go time," she growled.

 _"Take this seriously,"_ Agent Musa snapped.

Her lips tightened as she fought back a smile. She spun the chair around. Milhouse's hands flew into the air. He flinched when her boot landed between his legs, the blade digging into his khakis. Saniya held out a flashdrive. "Put everything on that computer on the flashdrive or this blade is going right up where the sun doesn't shine."

 _"Romanoff has too strong of an influence on you,"_ Agent Musa said.

Saniya smirked. "She's the one who told me to do this," she replied. Her attention returned to Milhouse. "Come on, nerd."

He plucked the flashdrive out of her hand and plugged it into the USB port. The file manager popped up. The knife pressed harder into his inner thigh. He inched as far back in his chair as he could. "That's right. Control A, click and drag." Slowly but surely, the information downloaded. She reached over to pluck the flashdrive out of the USB port.

"Whoa, what do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed.

She raised an eyebrow.

He waved her hands away. "You have to safely eject the flashdrive."

"It's fine. I'll just take it out and—"

"Safely," he insisted. "It'll take just a second."

Her boot lifted to poke at his stomach. "Just give it to me!"

"Not until it's safely," he stuck his tongue out and clicked the mouse quickly, "ejected. See? There you go. You can take it out now. I don't get why people don't take the time to properly eject flashdrives and just yank them out. It takes two seconds."

Saniya glared as she reached over to grab the USB. It was tucked into her bra for safe keeping. She reached behind her back, gripping the familiar weapon. "Leave no witnesses," she said in a low voice. Saniya pressed the gun to Milhouse's forehead. After a dramatic groan, he fell limp in his chair.

 _"Agent Romanoff and I will have a long talk later_ _tonight."_

"What? I couldn't let him go free!"

Milhouse opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I totally agree with Ramakrishna. Leave no witnesses."

Saniya nudged him with her boot. "The dead can't speak. Shut it, Milhouse." His eyes fell shut after he rolled them.

 _"Your ethics are being put into question."_

Her gun was tucked back in her jeans. "What should I have done? Tie him up with some computer cords?"

Milhouse perked back up even though he was _supposed_ to be playing dead. "I used to be a boy scout. I could show you some knots."

She pushed his head back down. "Like I said, the dead can't speak."

 _"Just... go. Next week we'll practice non-lethal methods of restraining people."_

"Bye, Milhouse," she whispered before slipping out the door. The "dead man" waved in reply.

The escape was easy. The man who was supposed to be watching the cameras was "dead" (not like he was watching the screens in the first place). In fact, the whole things was repetitive. She tried harder to avoid the guards, but she kept accidentally running into all of them a second time. That was easily fixed with a small twist of the hand. Of course, every time she did do that, Agent Musa would make a sly comment about her abilities. So, with the third guard, she returned to reversing everything, like she used to always do. It was a nice change to flow with time instead of being rooted in place while everything shifted around her. Agent Musa didn't notice anything different that time.

She placed the clip on the window. And when the light turned green, she unlocked it manually and slipped into the night.

Agent Musa was getting out of the van before she had a chance to knock on the door. Her white hijab stood out like a veil of light against the dark background. "I was hoping they would put up more of a challenge. And the flashdrive?"

Saniya slipped it in her palm. "What's on it anyways?"

"The recipes from the potluck a few weeks ago. I've been dying to get my hands on Hill's casserole." She couldn't tell if Agent Musa was serious of not. The woman had a knack for saying everything straightfaced and monotone. "Have a good night, agent. We'll keep in touch."

* * *

Greg was watching her like he was falling in love all over again. At the beginning, she welcomed the attention. It was nice to be looked at like she was amazing, especially after feeling so alone for so long. Apparently, several years of being separated hadn't curbed his affections for her. It was like he had never gone to prison or ended their relationship. If she wanted to, she could have him wrapped around her finger.

But then the guilt came when she remembered how she had treated him when they had been together. She hadn't been the perfect girlfriend and she wasn't proud of how she had acted. Not to mention, she wasn't interested in being with him. There was a reason she never visited him in prison, after all. Where he felt love, she felt sick.

"Greg. No."

He raised his hands. "Sorry. You're just so beautiful today. Can't blame a man for being stunned by a goddess."

Saniya pursed her lips. For a moment, she entertained the thought of returning his compliments. He was attractive. His floppy hair had been cut short and he shaved more often, giving him an almost refined appearance. Time had changed both of them, Greg most definitely for the better. But if she tried to feel more than a platonic fondness, she couldn't do it. Not even the smallest flicker of lust.

So, Greg wasn't an option, even if he considered her one.

She ducked her head under the hood of the car, checking that everything was in the right places and trying to escape his gaze. Two warm hands linked around her hips. Saniya paused her work. He apparently never gave up. Greg stiffened when she turned around with a glare.

"Stop or I'm suing you for sexual harassment."

His hands dropped to his sides, but he didn't back away. "Marry me," he said quietly. "Prison set me straight. I'm an honest man now. I can take care of you."

"Just yesterday you tricked an old woman into paying an insane amount of money for a simple repair," Saniya replied. "So scratch honest off that list."

Greg placed his hands on either side of her, careful not to touch her. "You always said you liked me bad." As he leaned his face closer, she turned her head. He sighed and took several steps back. "I'm serious. Marry me."

Saniya's face scrunched with a dull pain. "We talked about this. It's been too long. Things have changed."

"You've met new people," he added. Greg ran his fingers through his hair, his other hand clenched in a fist. "I'm sorry. I love you. That has never changed. Not for me. When I picture spending the rest of my life with someone, all I see is you."

She kicked her foot at the concrete floor. "I care about you too, just not in the way you want me to." Saniya watched his face morph from sadness to resignation. "You're going to find someone else and they're going to love you just as much as you love them."

"I kept you waiting too long, didn't I?"

She didn't bother mentioning that, even before he was sent to prison, she wasn't his.

He sighed and leaned against the workbench. His smile was sad. "Time's a bitch." She silently agreed. "All the other boys are still rotting in the big house. You're the only one that didn't get caught. I'm glad. It's hell in there."

"But, like you said, prison set you straight." Saniya gestured around them. "All that time got you here today: making a legal living. Guess it's good for something."

She glanced at the building. It was damp and moldy. The black smudges were ominous enough that she had a feeling they were slowly poisoning themselves. The siding in the front of the building was chipping away, not to mention the ant infestation in the office. The sign outside was the only redeemable part of the building. But, it was bought legally and used for legal purposes. Honestly, she was proud of him.

He hummed in agreement. "I think I bought this dump with the money I made off of stripping cars." His gaze dipped south of her neckline then back to her face. "Thank you. I know I'm paying you dirt, but I appreciate you being around."

"I won't stick around if you keep promising that you'll make me marry you." She jabbed her finger at his chest. "Got it?"

The tips of his mouth slowly grew upwards. "Fine. I promise I won't propose to you ever again."

"Good." She ran her hand down the hood of the car. "Maybe later we can head to the bar and I'll be your wing-woman. We'll find you someone great."

His face shifted like he had swallowed a lemon. "Sure, Saniya. Whatever you think is best," he forced out.

Greg retreated to the office like he always did when she told him they were never getting back together. That usually left her doing all the hard labor.

She used "hard labor" loosely. Greg didn't care if she took as many breaks as she wanted. Or if she snapped at customers. Maybe he would act differently if they didn't have history, but he was a very lax boss. Besides, she didn't need the job. It was optional. SHIELD more than paid the bills. Working for Greg was more of a favor for an old friend.

It was a welcome distraction.

All her tools slammed onto the workbench. It was too quiet in here. She flipped on the radio. Greg constantly mocked her for listening to talk shows instead of actual music. What he didn't understand was that the current media fascination was the only thing she could focus on.

Saniya rested her chin on her hand and shifted through the stations until she came to the right one. The topic of New York was all they could talk about nowadays. After a minute of commercials, a familiar voice came over the airwaves.

 _"Welcome back to the program. Now, back to the controversial topic of the decade. Nearly one hundred percent of New Yorkers believe that the invasion happened, as the mainstream media has been saying. But, according to a national survey, only sixty percent believe that to be true! Here is expert Violet Perkins and Thomas Yu to help us better understand why. On our twitter, we have links to the released videos. Feel free to explore those. Hello, Ms. Perkins and Mr. Yu. Thank you for coming."_

 _"Thank you. I'm pleased to be here."_

 _"It's a pleasure to have you, Ms. Perkins. Now, you seem to side with the sixty percent of the nation, correct?"_

 _"Correct."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Well, we have no solid proof that the invasion actually happened. We_ know _that there was a large amount of property damage. We know that_ something _happened. But claiming that it was a so-called alien invasion is childish. There is no other intelligent life anywhere in the universe that we know of. How can—"_

 _"You have seen the videos, right?"_ This voice was different it must have been Thomas Yu.

 _"Of course. And I, like a large number of Americans, am concerned. There was a huge coverup. Who's to say the video wasn't tampered with or... or recreated in a movie set. There simply isn't enough evidence to say that New York was invaded."_

 _"You've got to be kidding me."_

 _"I most definitely am not! These are reasonable concerns that are not being addressed. The—"_

 _"Listen. I'm sick of people like you going around and saying that it couldn't be aliens after seeing the video. I'm from New York. I say the hole in the sky. Hell, one of those freak creatures nearly killed me and my family. It's offensive when people like you come out and say that it didn't happen. You weren't there and you're smothering the voices who were."_

 _"Mr. Yu, I didn't mean to offend you, but I want to raise a good question. Why did the government wait so long to release the videos? Why were none of our questions answered until months after the supposed invasion? Doesn't that strike you as suspicious?"_

 _"I'm not arguing that the coverup was justified. I'm simply telling you that the threat was real. That was what this whole conversation is about: the question is if there were aliens in New York."_

 _"I don't—"_

 _"There were! I saw them with my own eyes! Honestly, I think more time should be spent hailing Tony Stark as a world hero instead of arguing of whether or not earth was invaded!"_

 _"That is... that is not true. You're insane."_

 _"He saved us! Tony Stark, if you're out there listening, we're all thankful. Don't listen to the people who are denying your heroism. You're truly a god among man."_

Saniya stifled a snort. Amazing, yes. A god, no. Tony was great, but not that good.

 _"Stark didn't—"_

 _"Don't you dare."_

A long period of silence passed.

 _"That man did something a lot of people wouldn't have done. Don't you dare."_

The radio announcer piped in, cheerfully saying that they would be back after the break. A weird commercial about toothpaste came over the air.

Saniya hadn't realized she had been holding her breath throughout the entire interview. It felt nice that Thomas Yu was able to voice all the thoughts she had been itching to scream at anyone who said otherwise.

Screw SHIELD for keeping everything a secret.

They only made things worse.

* * *

Natasha sighed as Clint massaged her shoulders. Her head rested on the sand crusted towel. "Any sign of the target?"

His hand rubbed at a particularly tense spot in her back. " _Relax_ , mamacita. If I see him I'll tell you." Clint had magic hands that seemed to unknot every muscle. Natasha found herself becoming a limp mess on the beach. "What's got you so stressed?"

"I saw you on the roof," she said. "I know you overheard everything."

"It was hard not to. Agent Musa sure has a set of lungs on her." Clint reached over to apply another layer of sunscreen on her back. Her toes curled as the cold lotion hit her skin. "She thinks you're corrupting her."

Natasha just smirked in reply.

Her phone vibrated next to her arm. With a flick of her fingers, it was unlocked and downloading a constant stream data. "Saniya's home."

Clint ran his hand underneath her swimsuit straps in what he claimed as being thorough. His nose scrunched. "Is she smoking in her apartment again?" He tapped on her phone, leaving a small glob of sunscreen. Several images flashed on the screen. " _Oh_ , she _is_. That little brat lied to me. She's going to stinkify all of her stuff if she keeps that up."

Natasha pressed the phone to her ear.

 _"Nat?"_

"You'll burn your apartment down if you keep that up," Natasha replied. "Plus, you won't be able to run if your lungs are full of smoke. Toss them out. I'm surprised Agent Musa hasn't confiscated them yet."

 _"Fine. They're gross anyways. I don't know why my friends liked them so much in high school."_ She fell silent. And given Saniya, that usually wasn't a good thing. _"How did you know that I was smoking?"_

"Agent Musa's been complaining about it to me. It was a lucky guess." The lie was easy and Saniya believed her. "She's also upset with the way you used your boots last night."

Clint leaned close to the phone. "It's making her question your morality. Plus, I think Nat's proud, so that means you're doing something wrong." He received the famous Black Widow glare and shrunk back. His hands were extra careful when massaging her shoulders.

 _"You're really proud of me? I did exactly what you said."_

Natasha felt her hard glare slacken. The words were so full of hope. Saniya was so eager to please. It almost reminded her of... of _herself_ when she was in the Red Room. Of course, their motivations for pleasing their higher ups were far different, but there was that same desire. So, instead, she avoided the question instead of confronting the weird revulsion in her gut.

"How'd he react?"

 _"He didn't, really. I think he' knew that if I did anything to him, he could report me. Is it bad that I can't wait to do this one someone for real?"_

"A psychologist would call that a troubling desire," she teased. Clint tapped her arm then gestured to a man walking into the beachside restaurant. He mouthed the words "I got him". She moved so she was sitting on her knees, watching her partner tail the target. "I called for a reason. How do you feel about going on your first mission?"

 _"I... Nope. I don't think that's a good idea."_

Natasha watched the door of the restaurant. Slowly, she began rolling up the towel and placing it in the beach bag. "You don't have much of a choice," she said. "It's busy work. They give the rookies these sort of jobs so you can get the hang of filling in paperwork."

" _Nat. Please don't make me,"_ Saniya whined.

"It's a paid vacation," she phrased in a way she hoped would appeal to Saniya. "There's no real responsibilities. All you have to do is fly out to Malibu, talk to Pepper about the new technology Stark Industries is coming up with, write a report, and fly back."

 _"That's it? Really?"_ Saniya hummed quietly to herself. _"Actually, that sounds pretty easy. What's the catch?"_

Natasha slipped her feet in her sandals. _What was taking Clint so long?_ "No catch. Like I said, it's busy work." The bag dropped to the sidewalk as Clint tumbled out of the restaurant with a man at his neck. "I'll send you the details." Without so much as a goodbye, she ran over just in time to watch Clint punch him in the face. The man fell limp, a bruise already forming on his jaw.

She helped Clint off the concrete. "Definitely Hydra," he rasped. "I swear, there's more of these guys every day. They have to be tracking us somehow."

"Cut off a head and two grow in its place," Natasha muttered.

Hydra had been silent for years. Like everyone else, she assumed they had crumbled except for small groups unable to unite.

No. That was right. Hydra wasn't much of a problem. SHIELD had made sure of that. This was an isolated problem that Natasha and Clint were more than happy to take care of.


	26. Part 2 — Chapter 2

**Hey! Thank you for your support. Honestly, whether it's another person favoriting my story or reviewing, it inspires me to keep going. But, it's kind of hard to know how I'm doing without feedback. Last chapter about 6 people unfollowed the story and I'm not sure why. If I did anything wrong or if there's a problem, so please tell me. I can't improve without knowing what I need to get better at.**

 **I love all of you no matter what 3**

* * *

Two Months Ago

 _She raised the hammer above her head with the full intention of shattering the crystal._

 _It sat in front of her, mocking her. It had to be destroyed._

 _But, she couldn't bring herself to smash it. Something was stopping her._

"We both want power, just different ways of achieving it." _Loki's voice was as clear in her mind as the day he had said that to her. The words still made her shiver._

 _He was wrong._ He was completely wrong. _Saniya raised the hammer again but faltered. If he was wrong, then why was it so hard to break the only path to him? Why couldn't she do it?_

 _Maybe he knew how to find Frimia. Not likely, considering that he has been in a cell since the invasion, but he might have an idea of where she went. Without Loki, she had no other idea of how to find her. Saniya tried to tell herself that that was the only reason she was considering going back._

 _That Frimia was the only reason she stole the crystal from Thor._

 _Tony had suspected her the moment it disappeared. Saniya had recently moved back into her apartment and Thor was preparing to leave for Asgard. The day she moved out, the crystal had mysteriously "disappeared". Tony promised he would keep an eye out for it. The whole time he was staring at her. She was almost certain he knew that she had taken it. Why he hadn't told anyone, she didn't know._

 _Maybe he had faith that she would get rid of it. Sure, he was just as interested as Jane and Bruce to recreate astral projection on earth. He could have asked her to hand it over to the scientists for study. But he hadn't._

 _Point was, she didn't know his reasons and she wasn't sure of her own motives for stealing the crystal. She dropped the hammer, letting it fall to her side._

 _Saniya blew several strands of hair out of her face. The crystal was beautiful. When she turned her head, the color seemed to change. Without much thought, she was reaching out to hold it._

 _It glittered in the dull kitchen light, radiating pure magic. Saniya could feel it breathing like the grass in Italy. Her eyes fluttered shut as she stroked her fingers over the smooth edges. The tips of her fingers began to feel numb._

 _Then, it stopped. Needles pricked every bit of her skin before she could even take her next breath. Saniya opened her eyes, seeing that she was no longer in her apartment kitchen._

 _Loki looked the same though his cheeks were more hollow than she remembered. He seemed almost surprised to see her. "Hello," he said softly, as if not to startle her. The god looked behind her and narrowed his eyes when he didn't see Thor._

 _She pulled herself from the floor, silently willing the crystal to take her back. "This was sort of a mistake. I didn't mean to come here."_

 _"You must have had the intention. The crystal does not work against your will." He walked towards the glass. Saniya had learned her lesson and kept her distance from the enclosure. "Why have you come?"_

 _Saniya squeezed her eyes shut, trying to concentrate on going back home. "I don't know," she forced out. A headache began to form as she attempted to tap into the_ seiðr _inside her_. _When she found herself holding the crystal so tightly that her fingers were beginning to bleed, she realized that getting home wouldn't be so easy._

 _"I apologize for my earlier behavior. I was out of line."_

 _Her eyes snapped open with suspicion. "You what?_

 _Loki sighed, the space around his eyes tensing. "I have forgotten how to act properly during my imprisonment. My thoughts had been muddled by not seeing another living being for weeks." The snake of a man walked up to the glass, piercing her with his green eyes. "I'm sure you have heard stories of what solitary confinement does to the mind."_

 _"I... uh... Okay?"_

 _"What do you want from me? I'm sure you didn't come because you wanted to see me."_

 _Saniya shrugged, still stunned by his apology. He had to be trying to manipulate her again. Considering his superiority complex, it was unlikely that he was apologizing to a 'mortal' out of the goodness of his heart. "Nothing, I guess." She kicked at the ground with her socks. "Like I said, this was an accident. I really don't want to see you."_

 _"I see." His lips tightened like he was making a huge effort to be courteous. "Well, I have something I want from you."_

 _"No. Nope. I am doing nothing for you," she spat out. She shook the crystal, hoping that it'd take her home faster._

 _He placed his hand on the glass, barely holding himself back from slamming it. "It is something you can manage," he gritted through his teeth. "For the foreseeable future, I will be in here. It is a struggle to keep my mind sharp. All I want is company."_

 _That hit her harder than she expected it would. All he wanted,_ so he claimed _, was someone to talk to. If this was true, then_ _Loki, the man who had attempted to enslave the human race, had won her sympathy. The large ball of hate for him didn't shrink, but a more powerful feeling of pity began to grow next to it. She couldn't imagine how terrible it was to not see anyone for weeks. Saniya had heard stories of what happened to prisoners who were left in solitary confinement for too long. That was a punishment she didn't wish on anyone._

 _"I can teach you how to use your gift." For a moment, she found herself entranced by his bright eyes. "You have so much to learn."_

 _She crossed her arms, turning herself away from him. "I won't use it for you."_

 _Loki folded his hands together. "I expected as such. You gift can only expand so much with your mortal limitations, but you can become more powerful on your own. In return, I wish to simply talk." His eyes fell to the floor in a rare moment of vulnerability. "Perhaps you can tell me about Maria."_

 _"Maria Hill?"_

 _The disgust on his face almost made her burst out laughing. "No. I believe you know her as Signora Arlotti." Loki met her gaze. The skin around his mouth was taut as if he was stopping himself from scowling at her. "You have been kind to her. I am trying to return the favor."_

 _Saniya found herself stepping closer to the glass. "Why do you care? She's human. Don't you think you're better than us?"_

 _He glared at her. "Maria and her sister were more than worthy," he snarled._

 _She turned away from him. This was a trap. A manipulation. He was the god of lies and trickery. Of course he was using her for some greater scheme. But, was there really any harm from learning some tricks from him? From telling him about Signora Arlotti? It seemed harmless enough. Despite what common sense was telling her, she was considering his proposal._

 _"Okay. I'll tell you about her as long as you promise to teach me about my gift and aren't using me for evil or an escape or… whatever you can come up with. I also reserved the right of backing out at any moment."_

 _"I give you my word." Her toes curled as he gave her a mischievous smirk._

* * *

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the now familiar number. It was unsurprising when it went to voicemail. And like always, she hid her disappointment behind a thin veil of cheerfulness.

"Hey, mom. Dad. I'm... I'm in the airport in California. So, if... ah... if you ever decide to call me back to make plans, I can't do it this week." She winced. "Call me back. _Please_. I know that if you haven't picked up by the thirteenth call, you're probably never planning to pick up. But, I want to talk to you two."

Saniya exhaled heavily. "I just... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want my parents back. Okay? I've just recently discovered the importance of family and I want that back. So can you for once in my life stop ignoring me?" She tapped end and stared at the phone. Her nails dug into the case and she was suddenly considering chucking it across the airport.

What was the point in still calling them? They never answered. They didn't care. Even at twenty-seven years old, she was begging for their attention.

The phone was slid carelessly into her back pocket, nestled next to her SHIELD badge. She rolled her suitcase behind her as she passed restaurants and coffee shops in the airport. And when she reached the exit and looked out at the parking lot, she wondered if Happy had forgotten about her.

Just as she was about to call him, a black car pulled up to the curb. Happy got out of the driver's seat, looking spiffy in his new suit. He held his arms out for a hug, which she responded by lightly patting his arms. "Pepper's glad you're staying at the mansion," he said. "I think she sees this as her redemption for the incident at the tower. She partly blames herself, y'know."

Saniya managed a small smile. "She's the one who offered. Who am I to turn down staying in a mansion for a week?" She watched him hastily carry her luggage to the trunk. "How are you? I haven't seen you in a long time."

He puffed out his chest before slamming the trunk shut. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Happy held open her door. She slipped into the car and he ran around to the driver's side. "I, uh, we never got that coffee you promised."

She pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear while simultaneously texting Natasha that she was on her way to the mansion. "Do you still want to?" Happy grinned. His answer was clear. Still, her stomach turned in a way that made her uneasy. "Just as friends, though," she said quickly. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

Though he had deflated slightly, he still was chipper. "No, I understand. Just as friends." His thumb began rubbing circles on the steering wheel.

Saniya shielded her eyes after being temporarily blinded. "Is it always this sunny in California? Isn't it supposed to be winter?"

Happy shrugged. "You sound a lot like Dr. Banner. He stays in his lab so long I think he forgets what the sun looks like."

The flinch that followed his name was unavoidable. "Bruce isn't staying at the mansion right?"

"No, he's renting out a condo several miles away. Why?"

When she didn't answer quickly enough, Happy looked at her in alarm. "He hasn't hurt you or anything. Right? If he has—"

"Just hurt my pride," she waved off. "I don't care where he's living," Saniya lied. "Only wondering."

Happy shuddered. "Good, 'cause he can be pretty frightening. Honestly, I wouldn't be so keen on living with him either. Just the fact that one day he could _snap_ and flatten the whole place at any time would make me paranoid." He let out a nervous laugh. "Know what I mean?" His smile faltered when he saw the less than impressed expression on Saniya's face.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I didn't—"

She chose to look out the window to save Happy from her glare. "Bruce has more control than that. He wouldn't just _snap_."

"Of course not," he said with a placating tone.

Saniya dropped her hands to her lap. "You know what? I don't want to talk about Bruce. Radio?"

Happy gestured towards it. "Be my guest." He raised an eyebrow when she switched it to AM and fiddled with the dials until she came to a random station.

 _"—Mandarin attacks. Is he the newest threat to America's safety? What is the government doing to stop the terrors? This afternoon we will be answering these questions and more if you stayed tuned."_

Her hand reached for the dial, turning to another station. "There has to be something better than hearing about the Mandarin," she muttered.

The whole drive was spent listening to a radio broadcast about a conservation site in Brazil. _Much_ better than hearing about the Mandarin.

* * *

Bruce shook his head. "I won't do it." He turned towards his fellow scientist. "This is becoming unhealthy."

Tony pointed the drill at him, letting it buzz in the air. "I thought you said you weren't that type of doctor."

"I'm _not_ , but anyone can see this is becoming an obsession. Tony, you already surround yourself with the suits. It's disconcerting. The last thing you need is to make it a part of your body."

He held up his finger. " _Not_ a part of my body, my dear Bruce. Just able to come to my location anytime I command. It's _smart_. Dare I say, genius."

He sighed, watching his friend carefully. When had been the last time he'd slept? Pepper had cornered Bruce during the first week in Malibu to convince Tony to go to bed every once in a while. Even Jarvis had made his concerns known by commenting on his creator's health.

"I'm concerned about you." Bruce scanned the wall of suits. Tony had to have more hidden from plain sight. "When was the last time you've eaten? Taken a shower?"

The corners of his mouth drooped. Tony turned away to tinker with his newest invention. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're my mother," he quipped.

"Tony—"

"Saniya's living with me and Pepper for a while," Tony interrupted. "Staying for a week to do something for SHIELD. I hope that isn't going to bother you." The billionaire lifted his eyebrows comically.

Bruce blinked at the name. He hadn't heard about Saniya in a long time. _How long had it been exactly?_ It was difficult remembering when exactly he had last seen her. The moments they shared seemed like they had happened only a few weeks ago. Bruce, for a moment, wondered how she had been, then returned his focus to Tony.

"Don't try to distract me," he sighed.

"She's different. I think. She seems lonelier. Every time I talk to her she gets this sad little undertone. Been that way since Marsha moved back with her parents."

He placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "We're talking about you. Not Saniya. Not Marsha. _You_." Tony finally met his gaze. "Promise me you'll at least try to sleep. Pepper says you haven't been sleeping well the last few months."

Tony pursed his lips. "Well, to be accurate, it's been since the battle, but that's irrelevant." It didn't seem very irrelevant to Bruce. "She's arriving today. Happy picked her up from the airport. He was too overeager about it, in my opinion. Do you think he's got the hots for her?"

The frustration softly boiled under the surface. Tony had no idea how close he was to making Bruce angry. He lifted two fingers to his pulse point. "Tony. Stop."

"What? It's been three months. Do you really have the right to be bothered anymore?"

"That isn't what's bothering me," he said. "You have people who depend on you. _Pepper_ for instance."

Tony paused in his tinkerings then pretended to be very interested in a small scratch on the metal.

" _I_ depend on you. The rest of our teammates do. If you aren't going to take care of yourself for your own good, then do it for us."

There was a brief moment where Bruce was sure that his words had gotten through to him, a short burst of hope, but, Tony only shrugged. "I know my limits and I'm nowhere close to them." As if to prove his point, he took a large swig of coffee that Bruce had switched out with decaf a while ago. He held out his arms. "See? Perfectly fine."

Arguing was useless. Tony never listened. Bruce knew he would crash eventually, whether from physical or mental exhaustion. Maybe both. Bruce was rightly concerned. Neither he nor Pepper wanted that moment to come. Tony was on a downward spiral.

Still, if anything, he was efficient. Even more so these days. His suits were being built quicker every time. His list of ideas had more than doubled in that month alone. It was incredible, Bruce had to admit.

So, in no time, (even after expressing his displeasure over the idea), Tony was pulling up diagrams of his body's nervous system, acting like nothing had happened.

Tony waved his hand over the display. "What about in my spine? I can find a way to embed them in my vertebrae."

Bruce shook his head. "No. There's too much risk for permanent damage."

"There's risk for permanent damage no matter where I put these babies."

"This is considerably more." He tapped on the screen. A whole new set of data shot up as he moved the image to another part of the body. "If this were to work, implant one in each arm, along those nerves. It'd... be less disastrous if this turns out not to work." Bruce took in Tony's determined expression. Whether he disapproved of it or not, it didn't matter. He'd go through with it either way. "Listen, maybe you should consult a neurologist."

He clicked his fingers. "I'll consider it."

" _Tony._ "

"Fine! I'll track a neurologist down before I do anything. Cross my heart." He smirked. "Maybe I was right about you being my nother."

The relief Bruce felt was near tangible. He patted Tony on the shoulder before moving over to his computer. There were several unanswered emails from Jane Foster, most likely wondering if the crystal had been found. And for the last three months, the answer had been a constant "no". He wondered why she even bothered asking anymore.

"You're okay with Saniya coming here, right?" He looked up to see Tony watching him with observant eyes.

His eyebrows drew closer together. "Of course it's okay. We're friends. It'll be nice to see her again."

For once, Tony seemed to be biting his tongue. "That was three months ago," he said slowly.

Bruce nodded. "I know."

" _Three months._ "

He closed the lid to his laptop, giving Tony his full attention. "I know how long it has been."

"Bruce, my sweet, ignorant Bruce." _That_ made him frown. "Three months to us geezers doesn't seem like much. But, especially to Saniya, that's a long time to go without saying a word." Tony clapped his hands together. "I took the liberty of looking through your phone, emails. Nothing. You've said literally nothing to her the past few months."

"That... Why...," he started, "you shouldn't be looking through my things."

Tony, acting as the guru of relationships, shook his head like Bruce was a whining child. "I'm looking out for you. Now, let's look at it from her perspective. You make out with her then disappear to Malibu without so much as a word. You remember what she's like, right?" Before he could reply, Tony was telling him the answer. "She's going to be pissed. She probably hates you or at least thinks you hate her."

Bruce was fidgeting in his seat. What Tony was saying didn't sit right with him. "I'm sure she understands. I was busy."

The snort that came out of Tony's mouth didn't make him feel any more confident. " _Sure_. Saniya's _very_ understanding." Another large swig of decaf coffee. "Listen, the way I see it, if you want some sort of relationship with her, your time has passed. You screwed up."

Had he? Had he really screwed up that bad by not speaking to her in the three months?

Bruce at least wanted to be friends with her. Saniya was good company and he felt that they had bonded the first few weeks she was in the tower. They were friends, despite what Tony thought had happened (or didn't happen) in the last three months.

But, whenever he thought about Saniya, he always remembered the way her lips first brushed against his. He tugged at his collar. Did he want that?

He didn't know. Saniya was beautiful, but would they be compatible? Would he even be able to have a relationship with someone?

Ever since the Hulk came into the picture, that had been a big no. Over the years, however, he had come a long way with his self-control. Saniya already knew about the Other Guy. She was involved in SHIELD and the Avenger's world. There weren't many secrets between them because of that. Plus, she had a better idea of the dangers of being around him than any of the general public.

If he could manage the Other Guy, would it really be that bad to try and date someone for the first time since Betty?

He sighed to himself. Bruce hoped Tony was wrong when he said that his chances with her were nonexistent.


	27. Part 2 — Chapter 3

**Katie Moon: I'm glad you are! 3 Loki is really fun to write**

 **Guest: That may be coming up ;)**

* * *

Tony was a man of grandeur. This wasn't a secret. She should have expected nothing less than fantastic when the car pulled up to the front of the mansion.

And despite mentally preparing herself, she still felt herself gape at the sight.

The cliff, _oh god_ the cliff. The mansion sat right on the edge, overlooking the ocean. Saniya couldn't wait to jump off of it, to feel the ocean spray on her face as gravity took over. As soon as she had free time, she swore she'd dive off the edge a couple of times.

After she tore her eyes away from the cliff, she began to notice the smooth edges on the exterior of the mansion. There were large windows and soft curves to the walls, giving it a unique look. _Modernism_ , she believed the architecture style was called

Saniya stumbled out of the car, still staring at the mansion. Happy popped the trunk and handed her the luggage. She mumbled out a thank you.

"I've only seen houses like this on the internet," she confessed.

Happy nodded. "I remember when this was first being built. His architects put the money to good use."

The glass door swung open. Pepper hurried out to greet them in her crisp pencil skirt and stilettos. She pulled Saniya in for a hug. "I'm so glad you're staying with us." Pepper pulled back with a smile, then patted her arms. "Wow, you've gotten stronger since I last saw you."

Saniya found herself grinning with Pepper. It was impossible not to. "Thanks. Nat and Musa have been practically killing me in the gym."

She grabbed one of her bags while Happy dragged the other. Pepper began telling her about how she was welcome to use the pool and that a trusted cab service could drive right the mansion when needed. The entire kitchen was at her disposal and she was given access to Stark Industries for SHIELD work. Frankly, it was more than she had expected she would get.

When Pepper pushed open the glass front door, Saniya nearly squealed with excitement at hearing the familiar voice.

 _"Welcome, miss. It is a pleasure to see you again."_

She was practically beaming. "Jarvis! I missed you so much." Funny enough, she had missed the AI almost as much as she missed Dorie. He was a dear friend.

 _"Please let me know if there is any way I can make your stay more enjoyable."_

"Thank you, Jarvis," she said.

Like the exterior, the inside of the mansion had smooth curves and a modern design. Across the main room was a wall of windows overlooking the ocean, along with a set-up of couches. Slightly beyond that was the kitchen and the staircase to the second floor, both matching the modern theme.

Tony rounded the corner from the hallway, arms spread wide like a king regarding his subjects. "Welcome to my humble home. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, as long as it's not longer than two weeks. Any longer and you're getting booted to the streets."

Pepper shook her head. "Nobody will kick you to the streets if I have a say in that," she told Saniya. She gave Tony a long look. To his credit, he barely flinched.

"I have some ground rules," he shot back. Saniya crossed her arms. "Rule number one: don't tell anyone my address. Pretend this is fight club. You can't talk about it with anyone. The last thing I need are reporters knocking on my door. Rule number two: no bugging. I want the house clean of spying devices. So if Jarvis finds even one out of place electronic, it's your head."

She blinked when he came to the end. _Was that all?_ "That's actually really fair."

Bruce appeared around the same corner. His button-up shirt was slightly wrinkled like he hadn't changed it in a while. "I adjusted the..." He stopped when he saw Saniya. Her cheeks began to heat up and she began feeling a lot like Greg; nothing had changed for her. Bruce smiled and her knees felt like jelly. "It's good to see you again."

While she had meant to be rude about it, to show him that she really hadn't cared about his absence and that she hadn't been constantly waiting for a text or... or just to show him that he didn't affect her as much as before, but she couldn't stop the grin that overtook her face. Bruce still made her body feel like it was on the verge of a heart attack and enjoying every second.

Pepper's smile turned slightly sour. "What are you working on now?"

"Something new. Something old." Tony matched her gaze. It was a stalemate between the two, both refusing to back down. "How 'bout we help Sani settle in?" he offered, but only as a means to change the subject.

"Good idea. I'll show her the guest bedroom." Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Come with us. I'm sure you've forgotten what a bed looks like."

He watched her for several moments before turning around. "Pass. I'll be in the lab."

Pepper exhaled. "Happy, can you—"

"It's no problem. Go after him," Happy urged. With an impressive hustle, Pepper was chasing after Tony. As much as Saniya wanted to ask what had happened between the two, she figured it could at least wait until she had taken a shower.

Happy gestured towards the staircase. "Right this way, Ms. Ramakrishna," he said with a comically formal tone.

Bruce curled his hands together. "Do you need any help carrying bags?"

"No," Saniya said immediately, and perhaps a little too rough. "We can do it ourselves."

The smile began to fade and she felt like she had kicked a puppy. He bobbed his head. "Okay. I'll see around."

Instead of heading further into the house, he was walking towards the front door. She remembered when Happy said that Bruce was renting a condo several miles away. He'd be back soon enough. He was staying close by.

Saniya hid her smile as she dragged her bags up the stairs. It felt good to see Bruce again. _It really did._

* * *

Saniya wiped the condensation off the mirror to catch a glimpse of herself. She tugged at the bags under her eyes then ran her hands through her dark locks. Was that a gray hair?

 _No_. It couldn't be. She was only twenty-seven. People in their twenties don't get gray hairs. But as she leaned closer, the mocking silver strand became clearer. As if it would help anything, she threw a washcloth at her reflection.

With the towel still wrapped around her naked body, she walked into the connected bedroom, dripping water all over the soft carpet. The tan bedspread was covered with everything in her bags. Her gun, unloaded with ammo in a pile next to it was placed in the middle. A grappling hook that Natasha was loaning to her sat proudly next to it. All the clothes she needed for the week was scattered across the blanket, all within easy reach.

She dug through the mess to find her laptop hiding underneath a large shirt. Saniya opened the lid.

There were three new emails. One was from Agent Musa. Probably a reminder to keep exercising. It was deleted right away. The second was from Dorie. Saniya sighed and clicked on it with a touch of annoyance.

—

 _Hey Sani_

 _I don't know if you heard, but Brent was pushed off a building. He's fine, just has his arm in a sling. So now that I got you feeling bad for him, he really wants to meet you. Do you want to get drinks or something?_

 _Don't say no this time. Okay? I really want you to like each other._

 _I just got a raise so I'll pay_

 _Love you_

—

Saniya replied with unenthusiastic yes. Dorie was her friend. She adored Dorie when they weren't fighting. But having drinks with her and Brent wasn't very appealing. If their facebook pictures were anything to go off of, they were lip locked 24/7. Still, she'd go through with it if it made Dorie happy. Especially since she had offered to pay.

She smoothed down the tape covering the camera of her laptop as she checked the next message. It was from a stranger, but it was a SHIELD provided email address.

—

 _Ms. Ramakrishna,_

 _My name is Doctor Johann Fennhoff. I am the head psychiatrist at SHIELD and I have overseen the care of your sister Indali._

 _From your papers, you have opted out of regular debriefings on her condition, and I apologize if this is not welcome. However, I have been very proud of her progress in the last few months._

 _There have been no violent outbursts for several weeks. We have even let her take walks outside of her cell to help her recover. I have found that as long as her mind is occupied, she is calm. So, we have provided her with crosswords and other puzzles. Your sister has reacted positively and I am optimistic about her future._

 _I highly encourage you to come out to see her. While she is physically calm, she seems to harbor a large amount of guilt. To help her overcome this speed bump in life, perhaps you and Ms. Elliot can visit her. I'm sure it would mean the world her._

 _If you have any questions, feel free to email me._

 _Johann Fennhoff_

—

The mouse hovered over 'delete'. She hadn't thought about Indali in a long time. A small ball of guilt began growing as she realized she hadn't checked up on her since she was locked away. Despite everything that happened, she was still her sister. Saniya at least should have made sure that SHIELD was treating her right. Director Fury had promised that they wouldn't do anything unethical to Indali, but could she trust his word? There was a certain responsibility on her shoulders to take care of her sisters, and she had really dropped the ball with Indali.

But, what Dr. Fenhoff described as a 'speed bump in life', was more of a wall. He couldn't be expecting her to forget everything that Indali had done. Was he? Saniya wasn't wasn't sure if she could look her in the eye, let alone visit her.

So, instead of confronting her battling thoughts, she closed her laptop. She put on a tank top and shorts, not forgetting her beloved boots to finish it off. Her eyes drifted back to her computer.

 _No, forget about that._

Saniya acted on the first thing that came to mind. "Jarvis? Is there a balcony or anything overlooking the cliff? I'm just... wondering."

 _"There is indeed. I have been told that around there is a wonderful view by the pool."_

Saniya rotated her shoulders. They were still stiff from her last workout session. Nothing quite like free falling release some stress. "Thanks. I'll get back to you if it's as great as they say."

As she reached the door, Jarvis stopped her. _"Ms. Ramakrishna, may I ask something of you?"_

She eyed the ceiling warily. "Depends on what it is," she said.

 _"Mr. Stark's behavior has seemed slightly erratic these days. Dr. Banner and Ms. Potts are concerned about the effect of the suits on him. I simply ask that you keep an eye on him."_

There was concern in Jarvis's voice. The same Jarvis who, not so long ago, told her that since he was made up of a series of code, he had no capacity for emotion. It was unnerving, actually, the emotion in his voice. She preferred the smooth, monotone Jarvis compared to the one who made her question how human an AI was.

"I can do that." Saniya's fingers curled around the door handle. "Wait, suits? As in plural?"

 _"He has quite the collection. Would you like to see?"_

Now that was an offer that was hard to turn down.

It was none of her business... It was none of her business. At least, that was what she kept telling herself as Jarvis began leading her through the house. Jarvis's voice was softer as she passed by the kitchen, almost like he didn't want them to get caught. Pepper and Happy were talking about a new security software and neither looked up when she snuck by. There was the faintest shuffle of Tony in the kitchen.

Saniya doubted she had been given access, but Jarvis led her to the most secure place in Stark mansion: the lab. The glass door opened for her and the AI directed her further into the basement.

Saniya stopped in the middle of the room. "This isn't some sort of trick where Tony will pop out and tell me to never intrude on his privacy again, right?"

 _"Of course not."_

"I want to trust you," she told the disembodied voice, "I really do. But, you have to admit this is sort of shifty. You even told me that you're loyal only to Stark, so then why are you showing me the suits? He can't be okay with this."

There was an odd moment of hesitation. _"May I be frank with you?"_ She nodded in the vague direction of the ceiling. _"My number one priority is the safety and well-being of Mr. Stark. There have been fluctuations in his behavior that are rather concerning. Ms. Potts and Dr. Banner are not helping, no matter their efforts. I have become what you may describe as desperate. I merely wish to show you the severity of the issue."_

There was no way she could help Tony. They weren't friends. How could she do anything to make things better?

But, like he had said, Jarvis was desperate. If he was even capable of feeling so. She figured there was no harm in at least looking at the suits. Jarvis must have somehow seen her nod because he continued guiding her through the lab.

There were seven suits standing in separate cases, illuminated by faint yellow lights. The one on the far left was a dark black, next to it a silver, but the other five were the signature red and gold. To her untrained eyes, they were the same. But, why would Tony make the same suit over and over again? It would be, in the simplest of terms, stupid. There had to be something more to them.

"That's a lot of suits," Saniya whispered. She approached the nearest one, tempted to run her hand along the smooth metal. Maybe he'd let her take one apart, just so she could get an idea of how they were made.

 _"There are forty-two suits in total."_

"No there is not," she exclaimed, looking around the room for the other thirty-five. "You got to be... forty-two! Where does he keep them?"

 _"Most are stored underneath the floor."_

Saniya kicked at the ground, expecting some sort of hollow sound. Forty-two seemed like an excessive amount of suits. An uncomfortable chill rolled over her skin. It was an _army_ of suits. Never before had she been exceptionally glad that Tony was on SHIELD's side. The damage he could do if he wasn't would be unmeasurable.

 _"I do recommend you begin making your way upstairs unless you wish to cross paths with Mr. Stark."_

Since she didn't want to be blamed for breaking and entering, she moved quickly. She hurried past a weird robot with a claw that began chirping to life. She didn't take much time to figure out what the 'dunce' cone cap meant. Saniya had just made it down the hallway when Tony began walking down to the lab.

She sighed in relief, shooting the ceiling a grateful look.

* * *

The mess reminded her of a drug addict's kitchen. Several medicine containers were opened with the pills crushed into a fine powder. Pepper's fancy electronic scale had been used to measure the right amounts of each drug, the small powder getting into its every crevice. She would be spending hours cleaning this up.

Jarvis hadn't reported her suspicious activity to Tony. She was thankful for that. There was no way Tony would let her drug him if he knew.

The contents of the mixed medicines were poured into Tony's coffee, then stirred until it dissolved. Saniya paused, considering the ethical dilema of her actions. Her heart was in the right place even if what she was doing bordered on the line between good-natured and nefarious. But, then she remembered her goal and figured that as long as it worked as plan, it didn't matter how she achieved it.

Besides, no lasting harm could happen because of this. Natasha had reassured her that it was nonlethal. The worst it could cause was a bad case of constipation. Nobody was getting hurt, so that made it okay.

She raised the spoon to her lips for a small taste. Just like coffee. Really awful coffee. Holding the cup with two hands, she walked towards Pepper lounging on the couch in the other room. Saniya held the cup out to her.

"Here's some coffee for Tony."

Pepper looked up for a moment before returning her phone. "He's down in the lab. Jarvis will let you through."

The smile on her face began to waver. "No, I think you should bring it to him. He'll think I'm trying to poison him or something." Saniya winced but hid it with a grin.

Pepper let out a small laugh. "It's just coffee, Saniya." It fell flat and she began to look quite somber. "He hasn't slept in days, though. I... I don't think coffee is the best for him right now. But what would I know?" she ended bitterly, hinting at what the couple had argued about that morning. Pepper cleared her throat. "I'm sure he won't mind if you bring it to him."

'Not minding' didn't seem like something Tony was capable of. But, if she couldn't trick Pepper to deliver the Trojan horse, then she'd have to do it herself.

Her shoulders stiffened as she turned away. "Don't worry about it keeping him awake," she promised.

"What do you mean?" Pepper asked.

"It's... uh... decaf," she lied. "It'll work like reverse psychology. Instead of being more awake, he'll become tired."

The businesswoman drew her eyebrows together. "If anything, wouldn't it work as a placebo for caffeine. I mean, I'm not—"

"Trust me, reverse psychology," Saniya interrupted.

A soft smile rose to Pepper's lips. "Alright," she agreed quietly, though only to humor her. "If anything, I hope it works."

Even the worst insomniac was bound to fall asleep from this concoction. At least, that was what Natasha had promised. Tony was going to be sleeping like a baby tonight.

It was slow moving down the steps to the lab. The coffee was filled to the rim, threatening to burn her fingers at any sudden movement. Small drops spilled on the steps. Saniya wiped them away with her sock.

Jarvis opened the glass door to the lab and closed it behind her. Tony was standing at a table with his left arm in a part of the suit. The protective armor section was off, laid out on the table, so that he could work with the wires and inner materials of the suit.

 _"Sir, Ms. Ramakrishna is here with an offering,"_ Jarvis reported when Tony failed to look up.

Finally, his eyes moved away from his work and onto the coffee mug in her hands. "Thanks, shortcake." His free hand reached for the mug and raised it to his lips.

Her face froze in surprise. Tony had trusted her just like that. She thought for sure she would have to lie about her motives or force it down his throat. But, no questions were asked. He must have had a degree of trust in her. The fact that he had immediately taken it from her was what brought out the guilt that probably should have been there when she became mixing the drugs.

Wow, her morals sort of were skewed.

"Stop!" she yelled before he could gulp down the sludge. "I drugged your coffee with some weird recipe Natasha gave me."

Tony stared at the mug with wide eyes. He shook his hand over the coffee to waft the smell towards his nose. "Smells like coffee." Then, he licked the small drop running down the side of the mug. "Tastes like coffee. Sani, what the hell were you trying to drug me with?"

"Assassin-grade sleeping pill," Saniya answered.

He shook his head. "Sleeping pills don't work on me."

"Natasha laughed evilly when I told her what it was for, so I think it will."

He took an experimental sip. Saniya nearly slapped the mug out of his hand. Tony's eyebrows raised at the expression on her face. "What?"

"You're _drinking_ it?"

The billionaire shrugged but the smirk on his face revealed how amused he was by this. "I want to have the pride of knowing that I bested Romanoff when it doesn't work. And, if it does, maybe Peps will stop bothering me about sleep for a while. It's a win-win."

Saniya watched him chug the rest of the coffee, grimacing as it burned the back of his throat. She waited for him to fall over sleeping, but... nothing happened. Not yet anyways. But, Tony took this as a sign of success when the first minute passed without incident.

"Told you so. Now go scamper off and tell Ms. Widow that not even she can knock me down."

She didn't leave like Tony had hoped. She didn't want to. A part of her was curious of when the drugs would kick it, but mostly because he was working on the arm to his suit. He didn't say anything when she leaned against the table and watched him attach a wire to the elbow. It was fascinating, despite not understanding how any of it worked.

The arm was a mechanical puzzle. It was astonishing how he knew which wire did what, or where to connect them. He attached a chip with the Stark logo on the inside of his wrist. The fingers of the suit began to move.

Tony glanced at her. "Do you want something or are you only staring to be creepy?"

Still overwhelmed by the incredible technology, she responded. "You're a genius."

He barked out a brief laugh. "I know." Tony stopped his work for a moment, flexing the metallic fingers. "This is basic robotic engineering, though. Not very impressive. Now, the wiring in the helmet is a doozie if you want to see something true brillance." The pliers twisted in his hand then pointed at her. "You're smart, kid. I can tell that you are."

Her mouth stayed shut as she waited for the inevitable "but".

"SHIELD's wasting your potential by making you the next James Bond," he told her. "They should be paying for you to go to college instead of having Romanoff teach you how to use a gun."

She rocked on her feet, unable to look at the billionaire. "You think so?"

His eyelids began to droop slightly. "I know so. It takes one to know one; you've got it in you to be some sort of scientist." Tony rubbed a hand down his face. "That's... uh... that's why I don't understand why you stole the crystal from Thor. You're smart. You know better, kid."

Saniya shook her head. "I didn't—"

"Shush." Tony placed a hand over her mouth. "Shh _hhh_. I know you have it." His hand dropped like all his muscles had gone limp. "Remember Jarvis, the all-seeing eye? It's caught on video."

She balled her hands into two fists. Tony wasn't much taller than her, so it was easy to jut out her chin and look him in the eyes. "I don't have it, so you can skip the threats. I don't know what happened to it. Thor probably dropped it or he left it behind or..." Saniya bit her lip before any more lies could come out. "I-I don't have it."

The harsh lines on his face smoothed. "Hey, _hey_ , kiddo, I'm not threatening you." Discreetly, he pinched his arm. "Listen, I can understand the appeal. Whatever Loki's promised you, it's a lie."

"He hasn't promised me anything. All he wants to do is talk. I think," she muttered, unintentionally admitting to the theft. She crossed her arms, all gentleness gone. "Let me guess, my apartment's currently being raided for the crystal and you're about to arrest me with your robot arm?"

The time between each blink was getting longer now. "I... No... Romanoff gave you some strong stuff, geez louise. All I... All I want is you to give it back. Forget about... whatever he said to you."

"That's it?" she snapped. "I steal some Asgardian technology and nothing happens?"

Tony shrugged, but it was like he was moving in slow motion. "You're not the first person... to be played by Loki. He... uh... I don't think you meant anything sinister by taking it. Don't persecute the innocent... or whatever."

Saniya watched him for any sign of trickery. But, he seemed earnest. Slowly, every taut muscle in her body relaxed. "I'll return it," she promised, her voice quieter now. "Loki pisses me off anyways. I don't want to talk to him anymore."

"That's the spirit," he slurred. She caught him before he crumpled to the ground. "Y'know, maaayyybbeeee now's a good time to—"

"Go to bed," she finished for him. Tony rested all his weight on her, which wouldn't had been a problem if it wasn't for the metal arm adding pounds. "Can you stay awake long enough to walk with me?"

The mumbled 'yes' didn't give her much confidence. His head fell to her shoulder. Saniya dragged him to the bottom of the stairs. One look at Tony and she knew they wouldn't make it all the way to his bedroom. So, she laid him down as gently as she could on the lab floor.

 _"I'll ask Mr. Hogan to bring down a pillow and blankets,"_ Jarvis told her.

"You're so helpful," she complimented. "Thanks, Jarvis."

Saniya spared Tony one last look. It felt weird how trusting he was being. There had been a time when he saw her as a threat, and she hadn't really shown him why she wasn't. She couldn't tell whether to smile because she and Tony were on the right track to being friends or to be suspicious. Something was off about all this.

At least they weren't fighting like she thought they would. She was thankful for that.


	28. Part 2 — Chapter 4

**FutureOlympian: Aww thank you. You're so sweet :) I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much**

 **Guest: Thank you :) I'm also excited to write their relationship as it progresses**

 **Leonor: Thank you :)**

* * *

She leaned over the edge with a smile. It was a straight drop, a smooth wall of rock begging her to fall alongside it. Her hands draped over the edge, hoping to feel the slightest spray of water from the ocean. The constant beating of the waves against the land was like a siren's call. And who was she to resist?

Saniya backed against the side of the mansion. She had jumped well over twenty times by now. It would never get old.

She doubted that it ever would.

Her toes curled with anticipation. Every jump invoked a fresh excitement in her. So much so that she was nearly giddy. Saniya kicked into a full sprint. The edge was coming closer and closer until she could almost touch the railing.

The door to the balcony slammed shut. Then, she was knocked off her feet, right before she could jump. She opened her eyes and all she saw was blue.

She blinked at the cloudless sky in confusion.

"Are you alright?" the man above her asked.

Her body was being pinned to the ground. Saniya pushed off whoever had tackled her with all the strength she had. They both let out a small groan of pain as they sat up. "What is your problem?" she demanded when she turned to him.

The man was unfamiliar. His dark skin was smooth and unblemished, except for the small trickle of blood running down his elbows. She looked down and saw her knees in similar condition.

He frowned. "Normally when someone saves your life, you thank them."

 _The most he did for her was give her skinned knees_ , she thought to herself. But, she supposed that she could understand where he was coming from. She was just about to jump over a balcony. To anybody that didn't know of her abilities, it would be alarming.

"I'm not thanking you," she said while trying to stand up, despite sympathizing with the man. "Jarvis, I think there's an intruder."

" _This is Colonel Rhodes. He is a friend of Mr. Stark. I can assure you that he is not trespassing."_

"Call me Rhodey." He placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to lead her back into the mansion. She refused to move. "Listen, I'll feel much better with you _away_ from the cliff."

Saniya, in a genuine effort to appease him, did what he said. Rhodey stayed behind her like he expected her to run to the balcony again.

"You didn't have to tackle me," she said. The venom in her voice, though she tried to hold it back, was sharp enough to make him wince.

"Yes. I did." Rhodey crossed his arms. "Let me take you to the hospital. Okay? They have psychologists for this sort of thing. Whatever made you do _that_ , there's a better solution. We'll figure it out together if you need to."

"I…," she let her voice drift off. Even the coldest parts of her heart were touched by his words. A complete stranger cared about her wellbeing. She managed a small smile of gratitude. "I wasn't trying to commit suicide if that's what you're thinking."

Rhodey finally removed his hand from her shoulder. "Then what was that?" He tilted his head. "What? Does Tony have more super friends or something?"

She shrugged. "Let's just say that I would have been perfectly fine if I had jumped," Saniya rolled her shoulders, already feeling her muscles ache from the fall. "And what are you? SHIELD?" At the very mention of the organization, her body tensed.

"United States Military," Rhodey answered. He sighed, seeming to have connected the dots that she wasn't completely normal. "Is Tony around?"

She narrowed her eyes. Jarvis had said that Rhodey was a friend, but she couldn't help but be cautious. Had Tony gotten in trouble with the government?

On cue, Tony, in his Iron Man suit, stomping up the stairs, snapped his metallic fingers at her. "Sani, heel! Rhodes didn't know any better when he took you down linebacker style. Very impressive form, by the way."

Rhodey raised an eyebrow at the suit. "You told me we were carpooling. As in a _car_."

Tony shook his finger. "I never said that."

"You _did_ ," the colonel insisted.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. The only thing that matters is that I'm taking the suit. You'll have to find your own way to the bar." And with that, he stepped out onto the balcony and shot into the sky.

Saniya stared until the remarkable piece of engineering and Tony were out of sight. "You probably should have seen this coming," she said.

"You're probably right." Rhodey looked at her from the corner of his eye as he turned away. "Am I going to get an explanation for whatever the hell you were doing?"

"No."

He paused for a moment, then brushed it off with the wave of a hand. "I'm going to trust you're in good hands here." Rhodey looked towards the ceiling. "Jarvis, maybe it's best that you block her access to the balcony."

" _As you wish."_

Saniya sucked in a calming breath. Her toes curled against the hard floor.

"Colonel Rhodes," she started slowly, "you are being..." _Insufferable? Irritating?_ "Stupid. You don't need to block my access or anything."

Rhodey was already making his way towards the front door. "Listen, I don't care what hidden powers you have or anything. All I know is that I saw a woman about to jump off a cliff and I intervened." He paused at the glass, giving her one last parting glance. "Maybe you should be kinder people who help you. It'll make them more inclined to help in the future."

Leaving her feeling like a scolded teenager, Rhodey drove away from the mansion. Tony had a huge head-start, but he didn't seem to mind as he sped away.

Saniya kicked at a rug. "Jarvis," she tested, "undo all restrictions Colonel Rhodes made."

" _Of course, Ms. Ramakrishna."_

 _That_ caused her to stop displacing her anger on the poor rug. "Excuse me?"

" _All restrictions placed by Colonel Rhodes are lifted."_

Her jaw fell slack. "Wait, I have the power to undo Colonel Rhodes' commands? I have more power than him?"

" _You and Colonel Rhodes have equal access to my features."_

She shook her head, still in disbelief. "No. No way," she told the AI. "I don't believe for one second that Tony trusts me as much as he trusts his friend. Right?" Jarvis stayed silent. Saniya's eyes roved over the ceiling, wishing that there was a hologram of a face or _something_ so she could figure out why he wasn't saying anything. "Jarvis?"

" _A car to drive you to Stark Industries will arrive in ten minutes. The cab fare has already been paid for and Mr. Hogan left your security pass on the kitchen counter."_

"Thanks," she mumbled.

And sure enough, the rectangular plastic was right where he said it would be. The picture was the same one from back in the tower, before the 'bomb' incident. Her face was in an aggressive scowl, which, ironically, caused a smile on hers. She clipped it to her t-shirt, smoothed her jeans, and wondered how mad Happy would be if she brought her gun with her.

* * *

 _Greg — Received at 1:14 PM  
_ _Missing you babe xoxo_

Message Sent at 1:16 PM  
I swear to god, Greg. One more time...

 _Greg — Received at 1:17 PM  
_ _Sorry srry. Forgot you don't like being called babe_

Message Sent at 1:17 PM  
Don't call me babe or anything like that

Message Sent at 1:17 PM  
You're my friend and just that. I miss you too. As a friend

 _Greg — Received at 1:18 PM  
_ _I'm sorry, comrade. Friend of mine, tell me when you will be back so I won't have to work alone_

Message Sent at 1:19 PM  
Don't know. Don't scam anyone while I'm away

 _Greg — Received 1:21 PM  
_ _Maybe ;) g2g. Old lady with a money bag just entered_

Message Sent at 1:21 PM  
GIVE HER A REASONABLE PRICE. THE SHOP NEEDS A GOOD REPUTATION

She slipped her phone into her back pocket, tapping her pen on her notepad. Her security card sat clearly on her shirt, sticking it out for anyone who passed by, hoping that they were the scientist Pepper had arranged to meet her. The bottom of her shoes smacked against the legs of the couch in a steady pattern. A man, who seemed like he was waiting for an interview, was stabbing her with his imagination.

At the end of the hallway, a graying man in a lab coat was walking down the hallway. Saniya squinted her eyes as she tried to read the security card from the long distance. The last name looked like it began with a 'w', and since she was bored of waiting, she took the chance.

And when she noticed that the man was indeed _not_ Dr. Walkins, she pretended to be interested in her shoes before defeatedly making her way back to the couch.

Saniya scanned the hallway once again. _Where was he?_ She rechecked the time on her phone. It was past fifteen minutes from when they were supposed to meet.

Her body turned rigid when she noticed Bruce by the secretary's desk. The sharp beatings of her heart stopped when he made eye contact with her.

"Please don't be walking towards me," she muttered to herself, her cheeks growing hot.

Despite her silent prayers, he was indeed walking towards her. Bruce's smile was kind and genuine. As subtle as it was, it lit up his entire face. She couldn't stop herself from smiling back. He was adorable.

"I'm waiting for someone," she told him. "Important appointment and such."

He nodded. "Dr. Walkins had a family emergency." Bruce wound his hands together into a knot. "I hope you don't mind if I show you around."

She was saying yes before she had thought it through. Still, the smile he gave her melted her heart. It wouldn't hurt to spend _some_ time with him. Even if he had ignored her for three months.

Bruce led her down the hallways and they passed a keen-eyed receptionist. With one flash of his badge, though, she blanched and stared down at her keyboard. Word must have gotten around about the "Other Guy". His shoulders tensed, but other than that, he didn't react.

"You're not getting trouble because of... the other guy..., right?" she asked, pushing open the door to the most restricted area of Stark Industries.

He ducked his head. "No, not really. All that was released with the videos of New York was my last name, but it seems the people here have caught on enough. I'm not bothered, though." Bruce met her gaze, the back of their hands momentarily brushing against one another. She was the first to look away.

They passed through what looked like a metal detector. She was suddenly happy she had left her gun back at the mansion.

Saniya glanced at her notepad. "So, has Stark Industries been staying away from weapons?"

Bruce nodded. "Do you remember the paintball gun?"

"The one that shot through your foot?"

He winced at the memory. "Yes. Tony deleted the design and got rid of the prototype. He thought about it and decided that he didn't want even fake weapons to be built or endorsed by Stark Industries. Anything weaponizable is pretty much destroyed if that answers your question."

"That does. Good on him," she said. "Next question, what is _that_?" She pointed towards a large metal square several engineers were gathered around. There were rivets in the metal that made it look like tiles on a roof.

"A solar panel. The hope is that people will buy them more often if they don't look like solar panels."

She made a noncommittal sound of vague interest before moving on. He pointed out several up and coming technologies, but it became painfully clear that Bruce had no more idea of what Stark Industries was working on than her. She imagined that was because he and Stark usually stuck to themselves. But, at least, with a long look, Bruce could tell her what almost anything was. By the time they were visiting the last of the labs, she had a page of notes from what he had said.

Bruce glanced at her notepad. "I thought you said that you would never become a SHIELD minion? I'm amazed they convinced you to do work like this for them."

Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on her pen. Taking a page out of Natasha's book, she kept her face neutral. Well, neutral enough to fool Bruce into thinking everything was okay. "I say a lot of things," she said tightly.

He gave her an odd look. Her mask had failed. "What happened in the last three months?"

She upturned her nose. "Maybe if you had stuck around a little longer then you would have known," she said before she could arrange her thoughts.

Bruce's eyes widened a fraction. "I didn't know—"

"Forget I said anything," she interrupted. But, the damage was done. Saniya's face softened to an almost affectionate expression. "I'm just bitter. I know you didn't... mean to..." She pursed her lips. "Let's just say I understand why you left."

His frown darkened the creases around his eyes. "What do you think my reasons were?" he asked curiously.

Her mind flashed back to the brief kisses they had shared. Every detail, every hesitation and stuttered word, had been overexamined to the point that she had convinced herself that he had left because of her. Over the last three months, he was just one of more than a few people who had left her behind. Saniya thought herself as an unforgiving person, maybe describe herself as callous, but it was quite the opposite. Despite knowing it, she had forgiven Bruce for leaving her the moment she saw his face after those three months. In all honesty, she was angrier at herself than at him.

Unfortunately, one major flaw in her personality was how easily she could displace her anger. Bruce didn't deserve the harsh comments that sometimes flew out of her mouth. He deserved much better.

And, hating the way he was looking at her, she smiled softly. "Because of winter," she joked as an answer to his question. "If I had the chance to spend the snowy months in California, I'd take it too."

There was the smallest of movement on the corner of his lips. "That and someone has to keep Tony from accidentally killing himself." Bruce opened the door and they were back in the hallway they had started in. "Speaking of the devil, he mentioned that you seemed lonelier the last time you two spoke."

Saniya blinked. "The last time we spoke? Me and Tony?"

Bruce seemed unsure now. "Yes. That's what he told me."

She shook her head. "I haven't spoken to him since I left the tower. Pepper sent me a few emails, but that was it."

He shook his head. "Oh, well maybe he didn't say that after all. I don't remember every word he said. But, have you been alright? You're not feeling lonely, are you?"

The word tumbled around in her head like a boulder. _Lonely_. That was the perfect descriptor, actually. She had used words like attention-starved and abandoned to describe her feelings. They never fit exactly. But, lonely was perfect.

Natasha didn't hang around. She stayed for a couple of days then disappeared for weeks at a time. Clint usually followed.

Agent Musa had made it clear that their relationship was strictly professional. One night when she had offered to pay for dinner, the agent had hastily declined and reminded her that they were never going to be friends. Partners, possibly, in the professional sense, but that was it.

Dorie spent most of her time in the helicarrier. She returned to the mainland every once and awhile, but she usually used that time to visit the family she had left behind in New Jersey.

And Thor was completely off the grid. She was beginning to doubt if she'd ever see him again.

Marsha was the most heartbreaking of them all. Saniya could vividly remember the hushed phone calls and the echoes of Marsha's basement. The tears and fearful whispers that her parents might hear them talk and SHIELD will take them away. She hadn't called in weeks. Maybe it was easier on Marsha that way.

That left Greg, but they only truly spoke while working on cars. He rarely answered his phone after work, leaving her to sulk alone at bars or gyms a lot of nights.

Lonely was an understatement. But, she found herself at a crossroads. It was embarrassing to admit what she was feeling. To her, it was like she relied on other people too much. She _needed_ them, but they clearly didn't need her. As shown by Bruce and the number of other people that fluttered in and out of her life.

She bit her tongue when the first cynical words threatened to come out. Saniya sucked in a deep breath and plastered a stiff grin. "I've been feeling good."

Bruce wasn't easily convinced, but he had enough sense to not to push her. "I was thinking of going out tonight. I've been here three months and have barely explored Malibu," he said, casually twisting his hands. "Would you like to join me?"

Saniya felt her body freeze like she had been thrown in a lake in winter. _Was he asking her out?_ Surely he couldn't be, but it almost sounded like it. A bubble of anger sat in her gut. It felt like her emotions were being toyed with. Saniya may have long forgiven him, but the insecurities would likely never leave. Unknowingly, he had planted a seed of doubt in her head about what he truly felt for her. Three months ago, she would have readily said 'yes'. Now, she was trying to figure out if he was innocently asking her for a night of fun or had an angle.

Luckily for her, she had pre-made plans so she didn't have to break her head over Bruce's motives. "Can't. I promised coffee with Happy. We're going to be out all night," she explained. The coffee part was true. Being out all night was a tiny, necessary white lie.

There was an indescribable emotion on his face. He slipped his hands in his pocket. "Another time, then." Bruce then took them out and began fiddling his thumbs in what seemed like a nervous tick. "I have work to do. Will you be fine if I leave you here?"

"I think I'll be okay," she teased. His small grin, though weak, made her heart flutter.

* * *

 _Greg — Received at 2:56 PM  
_ _Some security business wants me to maintain their vehicles. Finally got us a steady income xoxo_

Saniya pocketed her phone. _Finally,_ Greg's business was getting somewhere.

She spotted Happy on the couch, right where he said he would be. There was a sour expression on his face like he had been eating a lemon. And when she plopped on the couch next to him, his expression didn't change.

"So, you ready for coffee?" she asked.

Happy's mouth screwed into a frown. He jerked his chin towards a man lounging by the window. "He wasn't wearing his security badge." Saniya straightened her own at the mention of the piece of plastic.

"A lot of people don't wear their security badges," Saniya reasoned. "I think about a third of the people I saw didn't."

His eyes widened. "What?" Happy looked like he was prepared to storm down the hallways in a fit of righteous rage.

She put a fake smile on her face after seeing his reaction. "Kidding." _Another white lie._

He gave her a wary glance. "Something isn't right with him," he whispered. "Have you seen him in any SHIELD database or whatever you have? Maybe a criminal watch list?"

"I don't have access to that sort of stuff," she said back, not bothering to whisper back.

Despite how little she knew about him, Saniya had picked up on his tendency to be a bit paranoid. It didn't make sense that the man Happy was sure was bad news was anything but normal. All he was doing was slouching in the chair, looking insanely bored. She watched him drop a magazine to his chest and throw his head back, letting it hang.

Saniya leaned against him. "I don't get it. Why do you think something isn't right?"

"Instincts," he tapped the side of his head. "Some people got 'em, some don't."

She rested her elbow on his shoulder. "Are you saying I don't?"

He shrugged as his lips curved upwards slightly. "Depends if you agree with me or not. I don't know about you, but my instincts are telling me that things are not what they seem."

Any signs of a smile dropped when he turned his head. She followed his gaze to Pepper's office. Pepper was leaning against a man in a dark suit, standing on the coffee table in the center of the room. They were surrounded by a mixture of orange and blue light, forming the vague outline of a brain.

"His name's Aldrich Killian," he muttered. "Sound familiar?"

"Never heard of him." The frown on her face turned sour. Pepper's face told the whole story. She was charmed. Saniya saw the subtle touches. She also noticed the way Aldrich was looking at Pepper. That was a look she had been a victim of more than once. It made her stomach turn with nausea. He might as well had been a wolf dressed in fleece and Pepper was the oblivious sheep frolicking in the field like she wasn't about to be eaten. "Should I interrupt them?"

Right as he was about to answer —she had a strong feeling he was going to agree— a loud beep came from his Stark Tablet. Happy picked it up then held his hand in front of it, unsure of what to press next. Saniya pushed 'answer' for him. Then, He proceeded to hold it insanely high.

"Hello?"

" _Is this forehead of security?"_ said Tony though the tablet.

"What?" Happy asked, genuinely clueless. After scanning the hallway, he turned back to Tony. "You know what? I got a real job. I'm working. There's something going on here, and Saniya agrees with me."

Saniya shook her head, tilting the tablet towards her after Tony exclaimed her name. "I think there's something going on in _there_ ," she pointed towards Pepper's office. "Not sure if I agree with you on the other guy."

Happy glared at her. "I'm telling you, he's shady."

Tony shook his finger at them. " _W_ _hat shady guy?"_

"The one in the office," Saniya said while Happy hissed, "he's sitting in the chair over there."

The billionaire raised an eyebrow. " _Which one is it?"_

Happy and Saniya locked eyes. Then, he shrugged. "I mean, probably both," Happy compromised. "Listen, something is off." He raised the tablet closer to his face. "I'm watching Pepper, and you're not going to like it."

Tony let out a sarcastic 'oh no'.

She tugged the tablet out of Happy's technologically incapable hands. "I know guys like him," she explained. "He has the whole manipulative douchebag feel to him and I haven't even spoken to him yet."

" _Peps can handle him. She works for a fortune five hundred company and is dating me. I don't think he's much of a threat."_

Tony's face disappeared from view as he set his phone down. Happy leaned over her shoulder. "Whatever he's saying, she's eating it up." He pointed to the office where Killian was leaning over Pepper to show her a specific part of the brain. "Did you _see_ that? I used that same move in high school."

" _Considering that all I can see are your faces, no. I didn't."_

Happy narrowed his eyes and took the tablet from her. "He's showing her his big brain."

Tony coughed on the apple he had been biting into. " _His what?"_ He shook his head, holding the screen back to show his face. " _Flip the screen, Happy."_

"I don't—"

" _Flip the screen,"_ Tony insisted. " _You've had the tablet for this long and you don't know how to flip the screen?"_

Happy glared. "I don't know how to flip the screen. You'll have to take my word for it. It's getting weird."

Tony sighed. " _Sani. Please put him out of his misery and do it for him."_

With a simple tap, Tony was getting a full view of Pepper's office. There was an unnatural silence coming from him.

"Who _is that?"_ he said with a strangely serious voice.

"Aldrich Killian," Happy informed. "We met him back at that one science convention in '99. Switzerland I think."

" _Mmhmm."_ Tony was tapping on his phone now, probably pulling up information on Killian. " _I trust Pepper,"_ he said slowly and with the faintest hint of uncertainty. Tony cleared his throat. " _Happy, got your taser on you?"_

Happy set his shoulders with determination. "You want me to tase him?" Already, his hand was on his waist.

" _As much as I appreciate that your first instinct is to tase him for me, no. Some gal in HR is stealing printer ink. You should probably get down there and zap her."_

Happy frowned. "Ha. Ha. You're such a comedian."

Killian took down the brain and the lights in the office came back on. Through the window, Pepper made eye contact with Saniya. Saniya raised two hands to her neck like she was choking herself, then pointed towards Killian who, fortunately, had his back turned.

Pepper raised an eyebrow and mouthed ' _what?'_

Saniya exaggerated her mouth movements as she mouthed back ' _bad guy'_.

Poor Pepper was hopelessly confused. And before she could get answers, Killian said something, stealing her attention away. Saniya collapsed against the couch. She'd tell Pepper all her thoughts on Aldrich Killian later.

"I might have to raincheck on coffee," Happy said as he tried to close out of the video function on his tablet.

"Are you kidding me?" she deadpanned.

He glared at the man who was accompanying Killian. With a jerk of his chin, she had a good idea of what he was planning to do instead of coffee. She rested her hands on his wrist. "Happy—"

"There's something I don't like about this. It's my job to check it out."

Saniya frowned. "You work security at Stark Industries, not a private investigator." She huffed when he didn't respond. "Fine. Do whatever," she said coldly. A part of her wanted to end on that note, but she found herself grabbing his hand as a small reassurance. Whether it was for him or herself, she wasn't sure. "I don't plan on going back to the mansion for a while, so if you get into any trouble, promise you'll call. I have a gun."

Happy nodded, then paused. "SHIELD did train you how to use it, right?"

Her delay in responding didn't make him feel any better. "Okay, I'm no Hawkeye, but I'm better than nothing." She stood up, untangling her hand from his. A brief panic went through her when she noticed the flush on his neck. Hopefully, he didn't think she meant any of that in any other way than friendship. "Be careful."

He smiled. "I didn't become Head of Security because I wasn't."

They said their quick goodbyes and parted. Saniya had been walking out of Stark Industries when she realized that she had no idea what to do since Happy wasn't in the equation anymore.

* * *

Turned out, Malibu's nightlife had a lot to offer, no matter how close to the holidays it was. She had made a quick stop at the mansion to change into a short black dress but hadn't returned for hours. Instead, she passed the time by bar hopping.

Halfway through the night, she had met a group of college girls working for their doctorates. They bounced from bar to bar together until they began dropping like flies. The designated driver and Saniya had to herd a group of drunk girls to the van, which was eerily similar to how sheep were herded by dogs. They hadn't exchanged numbers. They hadn't even asked what her name was. Saniya doubted they would ever meet each other again, despite how much fun they had.

She was alone, but she had stayed in the last bar they had stopped at. It was a seedier place far away from the typical tourist hotspots It was quieter too. A television was on with a news program playing. Some men in the back were playing pool —she was pretty sure the man with the mustache was hustling them. The bartender was an old man and looked relieved that the gaggle of drunk women had left his quiet nook.

So there she was, sitting at the bar with her phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

A man with clipped brown hair and a small, red octopus pin on his collar gave her a cursory glance. He raised an eyebrow as a inhaled deeply and coughed out the smoke.

She glared. "What?" He just shrugged and went back to his drink.

Saniya unlocked her phone, finally unable to resist the urge.

And —as expected— she went to voicemail. Nothing new.

"Hey mom, dad, I'm having a great time in Malibu," she said. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not getting into trouble." She paused. "Who am I fooling? You aren't worried about me If you were, you would have picked up the damn phone," she muttered.

She took another drag from her cigarette. "Just call me back. _Please_. Even if it's to tell me to leave you guys alone. I _need_ to hear something." The phone clunked as she dropped it on the counter

Saniya snuffed her cigarette out in the ashtray across from her. Then, she froze. Something was nagging at the back of her mind, something Happy would describe as her instincts telling her that something wasn't quite right. She turned her head. The man with the odd octopus pin was gone.

She glanced down at the pack of cigarettes. It must had been making her paranoid. Instead of storing it for later, she dropped it into someone's purse as they passed by and swore that she'd never smoke again.

For the next half hour, she responsibly drank away her feelings. Saniya never liked getting blackout drunk, but she was dancing on the thin line between relaxing after a long day and being a drunkard.

But, the one benefit of alcohol was the confidence it gave her. Before she could rationally think about her actions —a well-known disadvantage to beer—, the phone was pressed to the side of her face. She shifted on the stool in anticipation.

 _"Hello?"_

She bit her lip at his voice. "Bruuuuce. Where are you?"

 _"I'm home. Are you okay?"_

Saniya winced. He had heard the strong slur in her voice. "I'm fine, doll." She twirled her hair between her fingers. " _I_ just thought that if you were out, you could come drink with me. I'm _sooo_ ooo lonely."

Bruce chuckled. _"I don't drink and it's almost three in the morning_. _"Isn't Happy with you?_ "

There was a bitterness to his voice that Saniya in her drunk state had no hope of noticing. Instead, she began worrying what he would think of her if she told him the truth. At that moment, she couldn't come up with anything more embarrassing than telling him that she was drinking alone.

"He's in the bathroom," she lied. "He's doing—"

 _"I really don't need to know what he's doing in the bathroom,"_ Bruce rushed out. His breath caught as she giggled like she was full of bubbles.

"I'm kind of drunk," she admitted. Saniya held her hand out in front of her hand tried to touch her nose. She accidentally poked her cheek instead.

 _"I know,"_ Bruce said with humor. _"Don't drive home. Okay? Don't let Happy drive you home either if he's been drinking."_

Saniya slurped her whiskey. The bartender wrinkled his nose at the sound. "Uhh... Happy's taking good care of me," she said. "Like, _really_ good care of me. I've never been so well taken care of in my life. You don't have to worry at all, baby."

It was meant to reassurance Bruce. Unfortunately, her temporarily sluggish mind didn't pick up on the sexual meaning of her words of the almost sultry way she had said them. If her phone had better reception, maybe she would have heard him grinding his teeth.

 _"I have to go."_

Her eyes widened. "What? W-Why do you have to go?"

 _"I— There're things to do in the morning. It's late. Besides, I'm sure you want me to leave you and Happy alone."_

Saniya rested her head on the counter. "Bruce—"

 _"Goodnight, Sani. Stay safe."_

"I will," she whispered back. "Bye, Bruce."

Saniya ended the call. Her cheeks hurt from how red they were turning. That phone call hadn't ended as well as she thought it would.


	29. Part 2 -- Chapter 5

Saniya tried to blink the drowsiness from her eyes. She leaned across the seat. Her vision was blurry and all she could make out was blobs of dull color, but there was no denying the dark, looming form in front of her.

"I'm not the only one seeing that, right?"

The taxi driver seemed as confused as she was. "You mean the giant stuffed bunny, ma'am? I'm seeing it too."

She sighed with relief. For a moment, she thought the alcohol still in her system had been causing her to hallucinate. Saniya sloppily patted the driver's shoulder. "Send the bill to Stark," she said.

"Of course."

The driver waited until she was in the doorway before driving away. Probably to make sure she didn't pass out and die from alcohol poisoning ten feet from the doorstep. For that, she was thankful and attempted to wave the cab off before it passed the bend in the road.

She, albeit clumsily, made it into the mansion. Her shoes were kicked off in the general direction of an ugly statue, making it shake on its fragile stand. Then, she reached around her back and unclasped her bra.

 _Freedom._ Saniya inhaled, feeling her lungs expand to its true capacity. Her fingers struggled with the clasp of her belt as she stumbled through the dimly lit mansion.

Saniya paused her undressing when she heard a deep exhale. There was a lump of blankets on the couch, moving with rhythmic breaths. She tried to remember if there was a guest at the mansion. Maybe Rhodey was staying the night. She was taking up the last bedroom after all, so that would leave only the couch for any supposed guests.

But, when she crept closer, she realized that the pile of orange hair definitely did not belong to Rhodey. And, even in the dim light Jarvis was providing her, she could make out the forming bruises on her arm that look suspiciously like fingers.

Saniya stumbled backwards, hand to her mouth. It didn't take long for her to dial Bruce's number while hiding in the kitchen. She leaned against the counter for support. The dizziness, a mix of intoxication and troubling thoughts of the origin of the bruises, nearly brought her to the floor.

Several rings passed, but he eventually answered. " _Saniya? Is something wrong?"_ His voice was raspy from sleep. Any other circumstances and she would have found that attractive.

"Tony isn't abusive, right?" Saniya whispered, frightened that Pepper would wake up. "Like, he doesn't hurt Pepper. Please tell me he isn't."

" _What? He... No, of course not."_ Bruce slowly became more alert. " _He hasn't done anything, has he?"_

"I don't know," she admitted into the phone. "Pepper's sleeping on the couch with bruises on her arm." Saniya pressed a hand to her forehead. It was hard to think while drunk, but even an alcoholic could make the connection she was. "What do I do?"

Bruce did a good job keeping the worry out of his voice. It only would have panicked her more. " _Ask Pepper what happened. If... If Tony_ did _do something, he'll have a very long talk with the Other Guy."_

Saniya bobbed her head. "Okay. I'll ask her." She ended the call before Bruce could get another word out. Then, she snuck back into the living room and began to gently shake Pepper, gradually becoming more intense.

Pepper rubbed a hand over her eyes then propped herself on her elbows. The lights slowly brightened enough for her to make out her face. "Saniya? What's wrong?" Her eyes, rimmed red from sleep, widened. "You look horrible," she gasped.

She hadn't thought she looked _that_ bad when she had left the bar. Saniya found herself frowning. No, she was _sure_ she didn't look as terrible as Pepper was making her out to be. But in reality, her bra was out of place -creating an odd lump in her shirt- her belt was almost unbuckled, and her hair was messy from when she had opened the taxi windows.

Pepper's nose wrinkled after a quick sniff, no doubt smelling the alcohol on her breath. Before Saniya even knew what was happening, Pepper was getting up from her makeshift bed.

"There's some aspirin in your medicine cabinet. I'll bring up a glass of water." She began to gently guide her towards the staircase. "Can you make it to your room fine?" It was safe to assume that this wasn't the first time Pepper cared for a drunk person in the middle of the night.

"It's fine," Saniya reassured her. "I'm not... I'm not even that drunk." The slur on her words didn't help her case. Nor when she tripped over the first step. Saniya clasped onto Pepper's pajama shirt.

"You're swaying like you're on a boat," Pepper said with a dry smile. She placed a hand on Saniya's back. "It's best not to argue with me. I _am_ the sober one here."

Saniya glanced at the bruises on Pepper's arm. The blue and yellows were more intense than they had previously seemed. "What happened to your arm?"

Pepper hesitated on the first step. The steady grip on her arm tightened. "Don't worry about it," she waved off.

"Did _he_ do that to you?" she asked, voice louder now.

This time, she completely stopped. "God, no," she exclaimed, horrified. "Tony would never touch me like that. It was his damn suit. It went haywire" Pepper nudged her upwards. "Now, come on. I'll help you get to bed. Jarvis will keep an eye on you. But if you need anything, I'm a yell away."

It was a blur, but somehow Pepper had gotten Saniya into bed with her pajamas on and left an aspirin on her nightstand with a cold glass of water. While Pepper was tucking her under the covers like she was a four-year-old, Saniya swore she would endlessly thank her when she was sober.

She wondered why Pepper was sleeping on the couch and hadn't kicked her out of the guestroom. And when she mentioned it to her, she had simply laughed it off and made her drink from a glass of water to shut her up. It hadn't even been an option to boot her from the room. Saniya kept her mouth shut after that. If she were in Pepper's place, she would have taken the guest bedroom, guest or not.

Saniya hid a loopy smile as Pepper made sure she was sleeping on her side. Pepper had acted more like a mother in the last ten minutes than her own mother had all twenty-seven years.

"Goodnight Pepper."

"Goodnight," Pepper said before she closed the door.

She pressed her face into her pillow. "Goodnight, Jarvis."

"Goodnight, Miss Ramakrishna."

Jarvis must have remembered her request from last night because he played a talk radio program so quietly in the background that it was barely noticeable. Saniya sighed loudly, her muscles relaxing. It was easier to fall asleep when she tricked herself into thinking she wasn't alone.

* * *

" _She didn't marry. But, Signora Arlotti did have a number of men come and go from her life after you gave her the gift." Saniya's eyes drifted towards the ceiling as she tried to remember the names from the SHIELD file. "Pretty sure one's name is Jacques. The others... I'll have to get back to you."_

 _Loki's gaze was unfocused on her face. He wasn't truly looking at her. From the gleam in his eyes, he must have been in a different time and place, when things were simpler and he was less... psychotic. If he had been anyone else, she would had been tempted to hug him. But given that he had invaded the planet she called home with an alien army, she found it easy to let him suffer._

 _He slowly came back to the prison cell. "I see."_

" _I don't know what you want me to tell you," she said. "I've just read the file on her. Most of it's too classified for me to ever see and it's only an overview. I have no idea if she's still pining over you or anything."_

 _What once might have elicited a snappy reply now made him nod his head like she had said something insightful. "I understand. You do not know how grateful I am for you sharing what you know." She narrowed her eyes, a movement that didn't go unnoticed. Loki sighed mournfully. "Must you continue with the distrust?"_

 _Saniya watched the god carefully. "I'm never going to let myself trust you."_

 _His smile reminded her of the nice boy who had grown up in the house next to hers. But when on Loki's face, it made her shudder. "I hope you will one day place your trust in me. I wish you no harm."_

 _She folded her hands in her lap. "Bull crap." The smile dropped. "I'm not stupid," she said. "I know what you're trying to do because it's something I would do too if I were you. No matter how long I talk to you or how much of a friend I think you are, you're just going to use me as an escape or some sort of token to barter with when Thor returns asking questions."_

 _Loki raised his eyebrows, almost as if he was impressed. She scoffed. It was all an act. "Perhaps I underestimated you."_

 _Saniya nearly snorted. "And maybe you're just trying to flatter me for your advantage."_

 _A grin rose to his lips in what she believed to be the first genuine smile she had ever seen from him._

 _She drummed her fingers on the hard floor and stretched her legs out from under her. "Can we have an honest moment here for once? I think you're a jerk who deserves everything you've got coming to you. But," she paused, trying to find a way so that it_ didn't _sound like she was thanking him, "I've learned a lot from you. You're_ very _smart, if anything_ _. So, you have one redeemable quality and everything else about you is trash."_

 _Loki made a low sound in his throat that may have been his version of an amused laugh. "And I find you to be one of the most pitiful Midgardians I have had the displeasure to meet." He flashed his teeth. "However, you have kept me company for several weeks, and I will not ignore the service you have done for me. When I take my rightful place on the throne, you shall die first, and it will be quick. I promise you that."_

" _First?"_

" _Yes. So that you will not have to see the consequences your people will have to endure for resisting me. It's quite kind of me, actually."_

 _She scrunched her nose. "You're really thoughtful," she deadpanned. "Maybe I'll become a martyr."_

" _Perhaps," came his droll reply. "Or perhaps you will become an example and help enslave generations of come. For all you know, your death could become a story parents tell children to scare them into obeying my rule."_

 _Saniya blinked. This had to be one of the oddest conversations she had ever had. "I thought you said you were going to kill me quickly."_

 _He shrugged so casually that an outsider would think they were deciding what to eat for dinner. "Yes. But I never said it would not be gruesome."_

 _She shook her head. "Good thing you're never getting out of here then."_

 _His eyes glimmered. "We shall see."_

Saniya was awakened up by two hands roughly pulling her back. The steps were a less than a foot away. Common sense is that sleep-walking and steep staircases were not a good match.

Her mind was a flurry of unorganized thoughts when she remembered Loki. When she blinked, she could still see his bright green eyes and pompous smirk. It was just a dream, though. A memory. There was no need of worrying that he was somehow tapping her brain with his magic from Asgard. To be safe, she might invest in a tin foil hat.

Whoever had pulled her from the stairs released her waist, keeping their hands on her shoulders to steady her. She squinted as the lights became brighter. It was Tony.

"Happy's in the hospital."

"Hospital?" she repeated.

"Some sort of explosion. He's in surgery." When she didn't say anything, he waved a hand in front of her face. " _Hello?_ Anybody home?"

She rubbed her eyes. "Am I still dreaming?"

He urged her towards the staircase. "Unfortunately, this is real life." Tony kept a hand on her arm as she made her way down the stairs. "We'll get you some coffee at the hospital," he added when he noticed how lethargic she was. "How does that sound?"

Saniya agreed and rode in Tony's foreign sportscar to the hospital, squished in the passenger seat with Pepper. Just like earlier in the night, it was a blur. Everything moved by too fast. Tony herded her through the hallways to the nearest coffee maker while Pepper spoke with the doctors.

She sat in the waiting room, nursing the horrid cup of coffee with tiny sips. It was some of the worst she had ever had, but she needed to stay awake. The night of drinking was catching up to her in the form of a small, but determined, headache.

It hadn't seemed to matter that she was still in her pajamas when Tony had dragged her to the hospital. And a fact that she hadn't noticed until Pepper sat next to her with a clipboard, filling out Happy's insurance information, that she and Tony were also in their pajamas. Saniya was infinitely grateful that Tony wore pants to bed.

"Don't know if they'll let you see him," Tony had said after they had been waiting a while. Pepper was resting her head on his shoulder. "We're his emergency contacts and I practically own this hospital. They'll let me and Peps in just fine. Maybe you can pretend to be his adopted sister."

Saniya forced another gulp of coffee down. It seemed that Tony wasn't very interested in pulling strings to get her in that hospital room. Based on the dark circles under his eyes, maybe he was just too tired to start throwing around his last name for her. She tapped her fingers against the foam cup. "Did anyone tell you what caused the explosion?"

He jerked his head towards a pair of police officers speaking with a nurse. Tony leaned considerably closer. "They think it's another Mandarin attack."

Pepper's eyes widened comically. "They told you that?"

Tony shook his head. "No. That's absurd. I read their minds." Pepper lightly smacked his thigh.

And in the end, Stark had been right about both of those things. The nurses wouldn't let her into Happy's room. Not while he was unconscious and unable to confirm her identity. But, from what she heard from the couple, Happy was going to make a full recovery. Saniya was very _happy_ for Happy.

When he finally recovered, she was going to smack him for not calling her like he said he would. She didn't know what had happened, but she had a feeling she would have helped if she had been with him. Not like she was an expert at stopping terrorist attacks, but she had a gun and _some_ SHIELD training. She was more qualified than him to confront Mandarin's lackeys.

Then again, no one was sure what caused the explosion. The Mandarin theory was a hunch from a detective that had been carried as a rumor among the officers in the area. For all she knew, Happy could have been jumped by a gang of ninjas with bomb vests. There wasn't much evidence as of yet, but there were benefits to living in the same house as Tony Stark. She was bound to find out later.

Saniya was mulling over the few facts that she knew, trying to find a connection. One, there was a bomb. Two, it went off and injured several people. Three, the man Happy was following was probably involved somehow. And that was about it. Not much to go off of.

Even if she had more information, it was impossible to concentrate. Tony Stark was gathering a crowd. It had started with several nurses asking for an autograph, and now it had escalated to an impromptu meet-and-greet.

For once, Tony wasn't enjoying the extra attention, and neither was Saniya. Before she had met Thor, too many people had never been a problem. Now, she needed her personal space at times. Saniya wasn't sure what this change meant.

There wasn't a single quiet place in the hospital. So, she sat outside on a bench with her phone connecting to a podcast. The talking helped her relax, even if she didn't care what it was about.

She had been loitering outside the hospital for a while when _his_ cab drove to the front of the hospital. Her second cup of coffee had gone cold, but she was still forcing it down her throat. Her fingers were itching for a cigarette, which, unfortunately, she had thrown away last night. She wasn't sure if she had become addicted to nicotine or only wanted its calming effects.

Bruce practically leaped from the cab. He, unlike her, Tony, and Pepper, had taken the time to dress in actual clothing. His button down shirt was a dark green, almost the color of the Hulk. She tilted her head thoughtfully. Green suited him well.

When he stormed past her, she called out his name. Bruce turned with wide eyes, barely making out her shape in the dark. "You're okay," he said breathlessly. He scanned her from head to toe. "You are okay, right?"

She patted the stone bench beside her. He didn't waste any time to sit next to her.

"I'm fine." Saniya swished a mouthful of coffee then swallowed. "Really."

The tension in his shoulders began to release. "When Tony said that Happy was in an accident, I thought something had happened to you too," Bruce told her.

Saniya was reminded of the lies she said last night. She told him over the phone that she had been with Happy the entire night. A stab of guilt went through her for worrying Bruce, but it was overshadowed by the warmth in her chest. Bruce had rushed to the hospital for _her_.

She studied the outline of his face against the lighted windows of the hospital. The creases of his face were deep with concern. Saniya leaned against his arm. "I...," she said, wanting to tell him the truth. Instead, she settled for a half-truth. "I wasn't anywhere near Happy when it happened."

"That's good," he replied softly. His arm rested on the back of the bench. "How is he?"

Her bottom lip quivered. "He's going to be fine." She took a long sip from her coffee. It was a suitable replacement for a cigarette. "I hope Tony destroys the asshole who hurt Happy with his suit."

"Saniya," he said with disapproval.

Saniya lowered her chin. "He was- _is_ in bad shape. But, it isn't anything that can't be fixed, I suppose." She pursed her lips. "Pepper and Tony are in Happy's room. The nurses won't let you in, though. Well, they might let you if you give them a little taste of the 'other guy'." Another sip of coffee.

There was a short moment of silence. "I'm fine here if that's alright." He moved his arm back to his side as if he was startled that it had been almost around her shoulders. "We... we might need to talk about a few things, but I don't think it's a good time," he said with clear hesitation. "But then again, I don't know the next time we'll be alone like this."

"We should have talked three months ago," she bit back. She winced when he stiffened because of her words.

"You're right." Bruce nodded. "You're absolutely right. It's been on my mind all night. I might owe you an explanation or two."

 _'Might'_ was the understatement of the century.

Her first instinct was to snap at him or call him names. She wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine by walking away and never looking back. But, Bruce was too good of a person to deserve that. Especially not when he was trying to explain himself. Over the last three months, she had learned several things. But the most useful, in her opinion, was something Natasha hadn't explicitly taught her. She had learned how to hold her tongue and trust her second instinct.

And her second instinct was telling her to keep her mouth shut and listen.

"You had been the first woman I have kissed in a... a very long time."

"How long?" she probed, already failing at keeping her mouth shut.

He gave a dry laugh. " _Years_. I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to do anything like that since the Other Guy had come into my life. It—"

"Scared you off," she finished glumly.

"That's a good way to put it," he agreed.

Saniya cupped her hands around the cool cup of coffee, suddenly wishing that it was hot enough to burn her fingertips. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to chase you out of New York."

Bruce shook his head. "No, _thank you_." He placed a hand on her knee when she sharply looked up at him. "I'm not sure how to explain this, but I had always assumed I couldn't be involved with anyone like we... sort of were. That I shouldn't do it because of the Other Guy. You're the first person to make me question that. For a lack of better words, I was freaked out."

Saniya felt a question on the tip of her tongue, an important one. But she swallowed it back. She was too afraid to know the answer of whether Bruce liked her for _her_ , or only because he liked the idea of someone being unafraid of the Hulk.

"Bruce...," she started, then realized she had no idea how to reply to that. So, instead, she took his hand in hers, rubbing her thumb in circles on the back of his hand.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that three months ago." This had been the apology she had been waiting for for so long. It felt as satisfying as she had imagined. "I know I waited too long to say it and I'm sorry," he continued. "I hope Happy will treat you well. You deserve someone who does."

She came down from her high to register what he was saying. "Wait. Do you— Happy and I are just friends. You know that, right?"

Bruce blinked. "O-Of course I knew that," he said, though his tone of voice said otherwise. He looked down at their clasped hands. "Are we still friends?"

Saniya tilted her head. "Only if your promise never to leave like that again without at least a phone call," she replied.

Even in the darkness, she could make out the smooth lines of a smile on his face. "I promise."

Those two words were powerful enough to give her peace of mind for the moment. All her worries about Happy and Marsha were brushed away. Bruce had just promised not to leave her. Whether or not he intended to keep that promise, it made her grin.

"Tony's attracted a bit of a crowd," she mentioned after several minutes of comfortable silence. "I don't know if you'll like it."

He sighed. "I probably shouldn't go up there then, on the off chance someone recognizes me."

She rested her chin on his shoulder. "You think someone would?"

"I don't want to risk it." Bruce shook his head. "Besides, as long as Happy's okay, I don't need to visit him. I don't think I've said more than a couple sentences to him, so it probably wouldn't make a difference."

"I'll tell him you stopped by anyways." Saniya finished off the last drop of her coffee. "It's nice that you came," she said.

He lightly squeezed her hand. His brown eyes were fixed on hers. "I'm glad I did."

In that moment, she was tempted to press his lips to hers. Instead, she focused on her feet while leaning against his body, soaking in his warmth. That would have to do for now. And if she had the ability to read minds, she would have known that Bruce was thinking the same thing.

Unfortunately, they both kept staring at the ground.


	30. Part 2 -- Chapter 6

**Sorry if this took longer than usual to write. I was busy with graduation and got majorly distracted by Netflix. Jessica Jones is honestly so good. If you're looking for a new show to watch, I definitely recommend it.**

* * *

 _Saniya was a lanky child. Her head was oversized compared to her body. And in the several sizes too big sweatshirt, she was nothing more than two legs sticking out of a ball of fabric._

 _She was just on the cusp of puberty. Diti, her mother, had given her a book that told her all about the "amazing changes her body will go through". It made even pimples and training bras sound exciting. While Varin was burying himself in paperwork, she snuck a scandalous peek at the back pages that talked about boys' bodies. She waited for several moments, holding the book wide opened. Saniya was hoping he would notice and scold her, but he never glanced her way._

 _It was "Take Your Child To Work Day". Varin had suggested bringing her to the office. Diti and Saniya were equally surprised when he had brought it up that morning. She had been so excited, literally bouncing off the walls. Saniya thought that meant a full day of father-daughter time. But when she saw his boss pat him on the back and hand him a stack of papers with a smile, she knew that wasn't going to be the case._

 _Her foot began tapping on the floor, getting louder and louder. Varin flinched. His grip tightened around a pen._

 _"Saniya."_

 _She ducked her head. "Sorry, daddy." She leaned against the cubicle wall. "Daddy?" No reply. "Daddy?" Once again, Varin didn't answer. The book dropped to the ground and Saniya bounded over to Varin at his desk._

 _Varin sighed. He stopped writing. "Why don't you play with the other kids?"_

 _"I don't like them. They hit me last time, remember?" she protested. Saniya rested her chin on the edge of his desk._

 _Varin tilted his head slightly, to show he was listening. "Mr. Howard is having his lunch break. How about you talk to him?"_

 _Saniya wrinkled her nose. "I don't like him either. He looks at me weird and always wants me to sit on his lap."_

 _The only reply Varin had was a soft clearing of his throat. He opened his mouth to say something else. She felt hope rise up in her chest. Maybe he would suggest them going on a walk or playing a game together._

 _He began reaching into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. "I'll give you money for the vending machine."_

 _Her lower lip began to wobble when he held out the crisp five dollar bill. Saniya snatched it from his hand and stomped out from the cubicle. She wiped her eyes rigorously when one of Varin's coworkers gave her an odd look._

 _The office was bleak and no place for children. Most of the parents had left their kid off in a conference room with a deck of cards and snacks. Saniya had refused to go, instead clinging to Varin's side. She'd much rather stay with her father than play with five-year-olds._

 _The vending machine was an oasis in the sea of mundane business. The flickering florescent light above was a halo over the least boring thing in the building. Saniya pressed her hands against the glass in awe. There was every type of candy known to man. It was overwhelming how many she had to choose from, most being unfamiliar to her. Saniya's eyes skimmed over the sweets and to the bag of chips, the least exciting of all the snacks._

 _Saniya slid the money into the machine, only for it to spit it back out. "Stupid vending machine," she muttered, then gave it a kick for good measure. She straightened it on the corner of the machine and tried again. The money was regurgitated._

 _"Perhaps I can help," someone said behind her._

 _She looked up. The woman was wearing what the typical businesswoman would wear. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the dull pencil skirt and plain blouse. But, her eyes were drawn to the golden ribbon in the woman's blonde hair. It shimmered like diamonds. It was pure magic. Saniya wondered what someone so boring was doing with something so extraordinary._

 _"Who are you?"_

 _The woman plucked the money from her tiny fingers and straightened it in her own. When she handed it back, it was as straight as if it had just_ came _from the print._

 _"My name is Frimia and yours is Saniya."_

 _The vending machine accepted her money this time. Saniya grabbed her bag of chips then turned back to face Frimia. Her foot began tapping uncontrollably. "Did my daddy tell you about me?" she asked hopefully._

Frimia's _smile became strained. "I was a friend of your mother," she replied, not answering the question. She pressed a hand to Saniya's forehead, who immediately began backing away. A shudder ran through her body. It felt like a finger had poked her brain. Frimia scowled. "You're so... I... I thought you would be stronger by now."_

 _Saniya blinked. "Okay, you're being weird now."_

 _When she began to walk away, Frimia grabbed onto her arm. "You're weak, just like your sisters," she hissed. She narrowed her eyes. "Why? You were perfect but now... now you're useless to me."_

 _She tried to yank herself away. "I don't have any sisters," she said, panic rising in her voice._

 _Frimia released her from her iron grip. There were going to_ be bruises _in the morning. "Leave me before I waste any more time on you."_

 _Saniya was tempted to call the woman crazy, but she figured it was better to do that when she was out of earshot. She was already halfway to Varin's cubicle when she looked over her shoulder. Frimia was gone._

 _Varin was hunched over the stack of papers, just how she left him. He didn't notice her return until she began smacking chips loudly and crinkling the bag. Varin winced at each crunch. "Honey, let daddy work, okay?"_

 _She looked down at her lap. "Can we have dinner together after work? I'm really hungry."_

 _Varin ducked his head. He looked like he wanted to literally be absorbed into the spreadsheets. "We have to go home right after work, remember?"_

 _Saniya let the bag of chips drop to the floor. "No we don't," she protested. "Mommy's getting home late and you always eat dinner out of the microwave box thing after work. I want to eat a real meal. Daddy, please."_

 _"That's enough." He was only half listening._

 _Saniya's lips curled into a snarl, but she kept her mouth shut. All she wanted to do was have dinner with her father. However, she was old enough to realize that Varin didn't want to spend time with her. Maybe she should stop trying._

 _She stomped on the bag of chips until the broken chips spilled onto the floor. She glanced at Varin. He hadn't even moved his eyes from his work. Saniya crumpled the bag into a ball and considered throwing it at him, screaming, throwing a tantrum. Instead, she let it drop from her fingers. She doubted that would get his attention either._

 _Her small fingers ran over the spot where Frimia had man-handled her. It still hurt. Secretly, she hoped bruises would appear. What better way to get her parents' attention than showing proof that she was attacked by a weird woman?_

* * *

Tony was an idiot. A complete idiot. Maybe the biggest idiot that lived on the face of the earth.

Right before he had gotten into his car, a group of reporters had him surrounded. Then, he challenged the Mandarin to a pissing contest in front of a dozen news reporters and one lucky cellphone camera. Unfortunately, it had already gone viral.

Now, it wouldn't had been a huge problem if that was all there was to the video. That was typical Stark behavior to challenge people like that. The part that made her and Natasha concerned was when Tony released his address. No, concern wasn't the right word for the feelings Saniya had. Anger and frustration fit better.

The mansion was no longer safe, that much she knew. Instead of waiting for Happy to wake up from surgery, Saniya had to pack. She doubted she'd still be in the state by the time he was released. That made her sad, and it was all Tony's fault.

She stomped to the doorstep. The drive to the mansion had taken twice as long as usual. Several reporters had decided to camp out in the driveway. Some brave tourists drove by to snap a picture of an Avenger's home, clogging the street with their rental cars. For the millionth time that morning, she cursed Tony's name.

Saniya yanked on the door handle. It didn't budge.

"Jarvis?"

" _I apologize, Ms. Ramakrishna, but the mansion is in full lockdown."_

She tried the handle again as if this time would be any different. "It's me, Jarvis, not the Mandarin. No danger here."

" _Once again, I apologize. I am not allowed to grant access to anyone, excluding Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts, into the mansion. Or, at the very least, without their direct consent."_

Her palm smacked the glass in frustration. "Okay, this is stupid." Sometimes she wished Jarvis wasn't an AI and could make his own decisions. "Can you tell Pepper I'm locked out?" she asked Jarvis.

" _Of course."_

Pepper was admittedly very fast. In less than a minute, she was at the door, ushering Saniya inside. She scanned the skies and looked down the driveway with narrowed eyes.

"Relax," Saniya said, placing a hand on her arm. "I didn't see any terrorists on my way here, so I think we're fine."

She shook her head. "I'm not taking any chances."

The door locked behind them. Pepper was a woman with a plan; there was no time to stand around. With a flick of her fingers, Saniya was following Pepper up to her room. Tony and Pepper's clothes were pulled off the hangers, most already packed into large bags. All of the drawers were pulled out and emptied and a ball of electronic chargers sat in the middle of the bed.

"Tony owns an island in the Caribbean. We'll be going there until this whole Mandarin... fiasco blows over." Pepper resumed the tedious job of packing for two. She stopped momentarily to give Saniya a sympathetic smile. "You're welcome to stay in the mansion if you like, though I don't imagine you do."

Saniya let out a bitter laugh. "Nope. I don't. Honestly, I want to get as far away from here as possible."

Pepper made a low sound of agreement. "I can arrange a hotel room in the city if you still have work at Stark Industries," she offered.

"I think I'm going to stay away from all things Stark and go back to New York," she said quietly. Everything she needed to find for the report was done, not that it was much work to begin with. It didn't matter whether it was written in New York or Malibu.

Saniya began bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Why...," she started, then drifted off. "What was he thinking?"

"He wasn't," was Pepper's fast reply. Her hair fell over her face as she leaned over the bed. "I already worry too much about him without _this_. If anything happens to him, I honestly don't know what I would do with myself." Pepper discretely rubbed a hand over her eyes.

She hovered by the door. It was uncomfortable watching Pepper pack. "I should start packing."

Pepper didn't turn to face her. "Good. That's good. Jarvis will call a cab for you whenever you're ready."

Saniya didn't waste any time getting to her room. Nor did it take long to stuff every last shirt and underwear into her bag. She hadn't brought much with her in the first place. The grappling hook was carefully placed on top before she closed the suitcase. The only thing she left out was her gun, which was stuffed in the waistband of her jeans. Airport security was going to have a field day with her, but she didn't feel comfortable without it. Not when she was seen entering and leaving the home of Tony Stark with a terrorist out for his blood.

She had every intention to leave the city as fast as possible. In an airport in another state, she could convince Bruce to leave Malibu too. There was bound to be video or some sort of evidence of Bruce's connection to Tony. If the dread in her gut was anything to go off of, anyone connected to Tony wasn't safe.

The door bell rang when she was dragging the bag from her room.

She pulled the gun out of her waistband. There was no way she was taking chances, even if she ended up scaring some soccer mom trying to get an autograph for their kid.

Her boots were impressively silent as she crept down the stairs. For a brief moment, she pretended she was the Black Widow, the ultimate spy. Saniya leaned around the corner to peek at the door. There was a woman standing there, wearing a leather jacket and a canvas bag hoisted over her shoulder. They locked eyes.

"Are you going to let me in?" was her muffled complaint.

"Dang it," Saniya muttered to herself. She wasn't as sneaky as she hoped she had been.

She rounded the corner and aimed her gun at the woman's head. The door was most likely bullet proof, but she hoped the woman wouldn't call her bluff.

And she didn't. Immediately, she raised her hands over her head. "Don't shoot!" she pleaded. "Please don't- My name is Maya Hansen. I'm here to help."

Saniya took several steps forward, weapon unfaltering. "Show me some ID," she demanded. Maya reached into her bag. "Hey!" Maya froze. "Empty your bag outside, alright. Keep your hands where I can see them."

Maya whispered something that she was sure rhymed with "witch" but did as she was told. A collection of papers and tampons fell from the bag onto the front step. Finally, a wallet dropped. Maya pressed her drivers license against the glass.

"Like I said, my name is Maya Hansen." Her fingers were beginning to tremble. "Can you _please_ aim in a different direction."

Both Maya and Saniya jumped at the sound of clanging metal. It was Tony in his suit, wearing everything but the mask. His hand was held out at Maya, just as Saniya was pointing her gun. "You're not the Mandarin, are you?" He was by Saniya's side now. The hand that wasn't aiming at Maya now rested on Saniya's shoulder.

Maya sighed. "Unbelievable. You don't remember me."

Saniya rolled her shoulders. No one had told her how stiff her muscles would get while threatening someone with a gun. "She says her name's Maya Hansen," she told Tony.

There was a knowing look in his eyes as he studied Maya. He lowered his arm. "You know what? Just come in. I'm getting annoyed with talking through a door."

Saniya stepped back while Maya took a step in. She couldn't help thinking about Maya's jacket. There were so many pockets, so many places to hide things. As much training as she had gone through, she was never taught how to pat someone down. If there was a weapon hidden underneath the leather, she wasn't going to find it until it was being used against her. Or Tony. Or _Pepper_. Letting Maya in was the second stupidest thing Tony had done that day.

"Stop. You will stay that far from us at all times," Saniya snapped when Maya took too many steps forward for comfort.

Maya looked towards Tony who only nodded her head. "Hey, I'm not going to argue with a woman holding a gun." His hand dropped from Saniya's shoulder. "Might be a wise idea to keep your hands in the open, too. She's trigger happy."

It was oddly satisfying watching Maya stare at the gun in her hand. Apparently Tony's outstretched arm wasn't a problem; she didn't think Tony would blast her away with his suit. Saniya, on the other hand, wasn't as predictable. An odd smirk rose on her face. She held all the power in the conversation.

Maya gulped. "Listen, I came because I need to talk to you, Tony. Alone, preferably."

"Nope," she answered for him. Tony lifted his eyebrows. "Come on, you threatened a terrorist. It's probably not a good idea to be alone with a stranger who you never should've let in your house."

"Fair point," he agreed. "But I think I'm going to anyways, just to watch you squirm."

Right after he said that, two large bags were thrown over the balcony. "Tony, is someone here?" Pepper called out. She began walking down the stairs, giving Maya a cautious glance. Saniya's body relaxed slightly. As long as Tony wasn't alone with Maya, she had some peace of mind.

Tony stepped out of the suit. The hollow husk of metal stood straight like a frozen soldier waiting for orders. "Maya Hansen. She's an old botanist pal that I used to know, barely." Tony leaned towards Maya. "Please tell me there's not a twelve-year-old kid sitting in a car out front," he whispered to her.

She wasn't amused. "No, but I need your help."

"What? Why now?"

"Because I read the papers, and frankly, I don't think you'll last the week," Maya replied.

Saniya nodded. "I completely agree with her."

Tony was scandalized. He glared at her. "Where's your faith?"

"I lost it when you challenged a terrorist to a fight-off!" she snapped back.

Pepper had made it to the bottom of the stairs, slowly crossing the distance to them. Her white shirt was rolled up to her elbows, and she was wearing casual black pants instead of the usual skirt. She regarded Maya with calculating eyes. "An old friend?" Maya nodded. Something clicked inside of her. She gave her a soft, understanding smile, which dropped when she noticed the gun aimed at Maya. "Dear god, Saniya, put the gun away."

"But-"

"Saniya," Pepper said, her tone commanding. "Put the gun away."

Maya was visibly relieved when Saniya tucked the gun back in her waistband. Saniya kept her hand on her hip, though, in easy reach of her trusty gun.

"I'm sorry," Pepper apologized to Maya. "I didn't think we'd have guests with Happy in the hospital, and I have a feeling you don't feel welcomed."

"No, but I understand why," Maya said.

Pepper nodded then faced Tony. "So, by an old friend you meant girlfriend, right?"

Tony immediately shook his head. "She's not. I mean, she wasn't. Not really."

There was a soft pink tint to Maya's cheeks. "No, it was, uh, just one night." Tony let out a quick "yes".

"Oh, I see," Pepper said. "That's how you did it back in the day."

Tony gave her an award-winning smile. "Yep, but not anymore. I'm a committed man."

Pepper scoffed, but anyone could see the satisfied smirk on her face. She cleared her throat as she faced Maya again. "I'm sorry if you came here for something, but we're going out of town-"

"Remember, I said we weren't," Tony interrupted.

"-but I can give you the number to my office. All of the messages will be forwarded-"

"Peps, we aren't leaving."

"-to my personal number." Pepper glared at him. "We _are_ leaving. Immediately and indefinitely!"

"We talked about this," he replied. "I can't protect you out there, I threatened a-"

"Terrorist," Saniya finished for him. "That was the stupidest thing you could have done. Just get out of town, you idiot."

Tony snapped his fingers at her. "I'm higher up on the SHIELD totem pole. You can't talk to me like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? That's what you focused on? Not that your life is in serious danger from some guy with the same name as an orange, but that I was rude to you?"

"I think leaving is a great idea," Maya interjected before Tony could reply. She began to make her way towards the bags. Saniya placed her hand on her gun, but one glance from Pepper and she removed it.

Tony moved between Maya and the bags. "Don't touch the bags." He shook his finger at her. "Pepper, honey-"

Pepper raised her eyebrows. "Don't 'honey' me!"

"Listen-"

"We're leaving! This isn't even up for discussion," Pepper cried out.

Maya suddenly froze. "Guys?"

Saniya followed her gaze to the television on the wall. It was a news cast of the mansion. She would have dismissed it if it wasn't for the helicopters flying towards the mansion. She looked out the many windows and sure enough, there they were. There was a small puff of smoke from one of the helicopters. Something was getting closer and closer. She squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what was flying towards them

"Get down!" Tony yelled.

The whole wall exploded. Her body was a rag doll flying through the air. Just as she was about to take a deep breathe in, she slammed into the wall.

Saniya fell on all fours, wheezing. Tony's suit smashed into the wall next to her. She blinked when Tony landed on her other side. Pepper was in the suit now.

She closed her eyes. _You were trained for moments like this. I can buy them several seconds_. Saniya stretched out her hand, twisting it like the dials on a safe. Slowly, everything was pulled in reverse. Pepper, Tony, and Maya were mid-air. She watched the suit peel itself from Pepper and them wall reassemble itself. They landed back on their feet, unaware of what was about to happen.

Finally, when her lungs were about to burst, time played forward.

" _Guys?" Maya said_.

Saniya scrambled up from her feet. "Run!" she yelled before sprinting across the room. Tony swore and dragged Pepper away from the window. Maya was mid-turn when the wall exploded for the second time.

She was thrown forward, closer to the door this time. Tony and Pepper were further away from the blast. She was thankful for that.

Pepper landed a few yards from her, covered head to toe in the Iron Man suit. Tony was only several feet away from her, groaning in pain. Saniya coughed violently. The air was dust. She struggled to stand, leaving a smear of blood from the scabs that had reopened on her knees. Reliving the explosion only doubled the pain.

Another missile flew through the window, sending Tony flying. Saniya fell again, only catching a glimpse of red.

"Move!" Tony yelled through the chaos.

She lifted her head. The floor was starting to break open. Saniya crawled from the edge that threatened to swallow her. "Get to the door, get to the door," she chanted quietly. Her fingers dug into the debris as she tried to pull herself up.

A metal hand yanked her to her feet. All of her weight was placed on Pepper as she struggled to steady herself. Tony was left on the other side of the chasm. It was too wide for him to jump. "Get them out of here," he told Pepper.

"What about you?" she yelled back.

"I'll... I'll find a way around." Tony noticed Pepper's hesitation. "Go! Stop stopping and go!"

Pepper was practically dragging Saniya, she was moving so fast. When she leaned down to pick up Maya, Saniya was rushing for the door. It was one of the few parts of the mansion that was undamaged. She held it open for Pepper who was carrying Maya fireman style. Maya was gently lowered to the ground outside of the crumbling mansion.

They all held back their screams as another explosion hit the house. Tony was still in there.

Saniya kneeled over Maya. She was grasping her bleeding head but breathing. One look over her shoulder confirmed that Pepper was still alive and utterly terrified.

She pulled out her gun. "We need to get out of here," she said with a shaky voice.

"Tony's still in there." Pepper looked down at her hands, still encased in the suit. Gears were clicking behind her eyes as an idea began to form. "I can—" Suddenly, her body was yanked forward as pieces of the suit disassembled and flew off her, into the mansion. Saniya caught her from falling as the headpiece violently ripped itself off of her. Her fingers clung to Saniya's shirt. "Maybe he's better off with the suit," she gasped.

Saniya began pushing her away from the mansion. "We need to _go_. What if there are more coming, but on land this time?" She waved her gun in the air. "I can't fight them off! We need to _run_!"

Pepper shook her head. "Not without Tony."

The best thing for her to do was to run, whether Maya and Pepper came with her or not. It made sense to escape the danger instead of staying within range of death-obsessed helicopters armed with missiles. Her mind was made up, though, when she watched Pepper cup her hands over her mouth as the mansion began sliding off the cliff.

She grabbed her hand. Pepper had an iron grip, even without the suit. Saniya kept her gun ready. They were running at the first sign of _more_ trouble, no matter what Pepper said.

Something large flew from the mansion and one of the helicopters was hit. Then, they watched helplessly as a second helicopter started to give off black smoke. It was sent into a tailspin. To their horror, it crashed into the mansion.

Pepper squeezed her eyes shut. "Damn it, Tony," she whispered.

Maya covered her mouth and looked away.

Saniya was suddenly wishing Bruce was there. Nothing would have stopped the helicopters faster than a Hulk.

She crossed her fingers. "Come on, Tony. You're Iron Man, for Christ's sake."

For a brief, blissful moment, she was sure that Tony would power through, that he would destroy the other helicopters, fly over, and give Pepper a romantic smooch like in the movies. Maybe smirk a little and comment on how that was "too easy" or wonder where the "real competition was". Then, they'd all treat themselves to dinner and laugh over how easy the enemies were to defeat.

Then, the mansion completely fell into the ocean with Tony inside, crushing all her hopes.

Saniya froze. An odd feeling came over her. It was almost as if a hand was squeezing her heart, stabbing her with its fingernails. With each beat, the feeling grew. The gun clattered to the concrete as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

"Tony!" Pepper screamed. She was running towards the debris. Not even the all the missiles on all the helicopters combined could keep her away. She peered over the edge, staring at the waves below.

Her stupor was broken when the helicopters finally began flying away. Saniya shuffled in her boots then rubbed her eyes. "Pepper?" she called out with a hoarse voice. "Pepper!"

Maya pulled herself to her feet. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He was a good man."

"You didn't even know him," she snapped at Maya. Her attention refocused on Pepper who looked dangerously close to leaning too far over the sheer drop. Saniya grabbed her gun as she began walking towards her. "Pepper," she said softly, "get away from the edge."

Pepper stayed where she was.

Saniya lightly touched her arm. "He–"

"I saw him come up," she said so quietly that Saniya almost didn't hear it. "I saw him fly out of the water."

She glanced down at the waves. All evidence of the broken mansion was swallowed by the ocean, erased like it had never happened. That didn't sit well with her, that something so important to her could disappear so fast. " _Okay_ ," she said. "Come on–"

"You don't believe me."

"I never saw him come out of the water." She glanced over her shoulder. Maya was watching them. She suppressed a scowl.

Pepper blinked away forming tears. "Maybe he didn't," she relented. "I don't know what I saw, but... I don't know anymore."

Saniya grabbed her hand and lead her away from the edge. "It's..." _not okay. Nothing about this was okay_. "It... happened. We can't change that now."

"I wish it hadn't."

She nodded slowly. "Me too. God, me too."


	31. Part 2 -- Chapter 7

**FutureOlympian: I know, poor Tony :( and Thank you!**

 **Nikos Pyrr: Thank you so much for your wonderful review :) It made my entire day. I'm so overjoyed that you are enjoying my story**

* * *

When she had been told it was a condo, this wasn't at all what she had been expecting.

It was a sad wooden house that tilted to one side. There was a bench on the small porch that seemed hardly used and the door was painted obnoxious, chipping yellow paint. Everything about it was run-down, but it had a special quaint feeling to it that many houses lacked.

Pepper thanked the driver with a large tip. Saniya jumped as the car door slammed shut. Her hand was stuck to her waist, a close reach to her gun.

"He doesn't have cable or internet," Pepper told her as she came to her side. "I think he should hear it from us. The media is going to twist the facts and I want him to know the truth."

Saniya didn't have the heart to tell her that Tony was dead, just as the news was going to report. "Did we have to bring _her_?" She jerked her thumb back towards Maya who was, once again, watching them closely.

Pepper's eyes hardened with resolve. "Do you remember what she said when SHIELD arrived? She has nowhere else to go." She leaned in closer so that her words couldn't be overheard. "Besides, she has a concussion. She can't be left alone."

"I don't trust her," Saniya whispered back.

Pepper bit her lip. "Tony." Saniya's whole body curled at the name. "Tony seemed to trust Maya. Trust that, at least."

While that reasoning worked for Pepper, Saniya found it much harder to simply trust Tony's judge of character. However Tony had known Maya, she was still a stranger to Saniya. A stranger she knew almost nothing about. A stranger that _could not_ be trusted right after meeting her. It boggled her mind how Pepper didn't think the same way.

There was a faint limp in her walk to the porch. The first step creaked as she placed her boot on it. Saniya flinched, then peered over her shoulder. Pepper was almost smiling while Maya hooked her arm around hers. She scowled at the porch, feeling filthy about how much she hated Maya making Pepper smile, for gaining her trust so easily. The second step nearly collapsed under the force she stomped her foot. Saniya knocked on the door hard enough to turn her knuckles red.

Then, a couple moments later, she knocked a second time. Louder this time.

Maya and Pepper were right behind her now. She felt their eyes on her. Saniya pounded her fist on the door again. It rattled on its hinges.

Bruce pulled the door open, taking in the sight of the three women, dirty with dust and scrapes. His eyes widened with shock. "Saniya, Pepper, what happened to you two?"

To her credit, Pepper's voice barely trembled. "Can we come inside. I- we need to tell you something important."

Bruce stepped aside and let the women into his rented home. Saniya felt her heartbeat quicken as she took in the room. The windows overlooking the ocean were too large. It was perfect for any sniper to shoot them through. Then, she noticed the lack of lights throughout the entire home. It would be too easy for an overeager terrorist to sneak by them in the shadows. Not to mention that none of the curtains were drawn on the curtains overlooking the road. Everything that could be wrong with a hideout was there.

She closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. Saniya reopened them with enough calmness to see the shack as more than a war zone.

Compared to his room in Stark Tower, this was lived in. The back door was wide open, letting in a cool draft. There was a wet towel hanging over one of the kitchen chairs. In the sink was a stack of dirty dishes and Bruce's notes were organized on a coffee table. Saniya's shoulders began to release their tension. This felt like a real home, and there was no safer place in the world than in the home of Bruce Banner.

Maya ran a hand through her hair. Specks of dirt fell from her head. "Do you have a bathroom I can freshen up in?"

Bruce nodded and pointed her towards a door in the back. "Who's that?" he asked when the bathroom door shut.

"Maya Hansen," Pepper answered. She took a seat on the old leather couch, dangerously close to crying. Bruce's eyebrows drew together as he took a seat next to her. "There's something we-" she glanced at Saniya who refused to take a seat, instead pacing by the windows, "-need to tell you about. I-I" Pepper dropped her face into her hands.

"Pepper, are you alright?" Bruce asked, despite knowing that _of course_ she wasn't.

Pepper went into a long explanation of everything that happened, from the explosion till the SHIELD agents' arrival. Saniya didn't say a word despite Pepper leaving clear openings in the conversation for her to tell her side of the story. She was more preoccupied with staring at passing cars and peaking into neighbors' windows.

Finally, Pepper was coming to an end of the story as Saniya paced the room for the last time. "They're already searching. It's only been a couple of hours but they haven't found anything yet. I... I _saw_ something come out of the water. Saniya doesn't believe me, but I know-"

SLAM.

There was silence after Saniya had stormed out of the house. She leaned against the door. After several moments, she heard Bruce's worried voice and Pepper responding. She was happy that she couldn't make out the words. It was bad enough hearing their tone of voice.

Saniya walked off the porch. She stared at the road. It would be so easy to leave. So incredibly easy.

She wanted to. She wanted to go back to New York where she felt safe. The Mandarin had made his point by attacking Tony, but she couldn't help but feel that he wasn't through with them yet. Pepper accused her of being paranoid when she had told her what she thought. Sometimes she wondered if she was the only one taking the threat seriously.

But that was the biggest reason why she didn't flag down the next car to hitchhike back home. No one else was seriously considering that the Mandarin might come back to finish what he started. They were close to Tony so why _wouldn't_ they be targets? Besides, they had survived. Terrorists usually didn't take too kindly to survivors.

If Pepper wasn't going to be on her guard, then someone had to do it for her. Saniya brushed a stray tear away. She owed that to Tony, at the very least.

She turned as the front door creaked opened. It was Bruce. As soon as he shut the door, she crossed her arms and drew circles in the dirt with the toe of her boot.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," she replied.

Bruce took slow steps towards her, looking much calmer than her. That was saying something since _he_ was the one who turned green with rage. He slipped his hands in his front pockets. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head.

He was standing in front of her now. If she wanted to, she could rest her head on his shoulder, and oh how she wanted to.

"Hey," he said softly, "it's going to be okay."

"Like hell it is," she muttered back. She sniffled and her vision became blurry. "Tony's dead," she said finally, voice croak and all. Bruce flinched as if she had punched him. "He fell into the ocean with a whole mansion on top of him. He is- was amazing, but not even Iron Man could get out of that."

"They haven't found him yet. We won't know for sure until they do."

Nobody could walk away from that, she was sure of it. Even if they were encased in a metal body suit. Bruce wasn't going to be convinced overwise, neither was Pepper, so she simply nodded her head and kept her morbid thoughts to herself.

She cleared her throat. "Do you want to know something awful? Not once did I try to help Tony. I was the first one out the door." _So much for keeping her thoughts to herself._ Bruce watched her with steady eyes. His gaze was enough to weigh her down like she was made of lead. "I'm a horrible person," she said, coming to the sudden realization. "I-I know that sounds really self-pitying, but what type person doesn't at least _try_ to do something? I have abilities. I could have done anything other than save myself." Her eyes widened. "I didn't even try to help Pepper save Maya. I-"

Bruce pulled her in for the tight hug to cut her off from speaking. For a brief moment, her arms hang limp. Then, she grasped onto him as tightly as he was holding her. She buried her face in his shirt.

He cradled her head. "Do you know what I like about you?"

"What?" Her voice was muffled but he managed to hear it.

"You're strong. You have so much determination. You can do anything you put your mind to, but you're also pragmatic." Bruce threaded his fingers in her hair. "If you didn't do anything heroic, it was because you knew you couldn't. You're not a horrible person for knowing your limits."

Her pragmatism didn't excuse ditching Maya and Pepper, nor how it had been within her limits to help Tony. It just made her a coward. A coward who could jump off a building without batting an eye, but wouldn't jump into danger for her friends.

Fury had put it best, all those months ago: she was no hero.

Saniya plastered a fake grin on her face. Bruce raised an eyebrow as he pulled away from the hug. It was undoubtedly more of a grimace than a smile. "Sorry I sounded like a whiner," she apologized.

He shook his head. "If you ever want to talk, I'll gladly listen. That's what friends are for."

A soft, true smile settled on her face. The creases around his eyes smoothed, worry mostly vanished. "Thank you. I mean it." Saniya's foot tapping resumed. "I've never really had anyone I can just talk to. I mean, I have Dorie, but she's not good at listening when things get emotional."

"What about Marsha?"

Saniya nearly jumped at the name. She began walking back towards the house. "I mean... uh... ye _eaaah_. Marsha's definitely one of those people... who..." There was an unnatural bounce in her steps as she tried to seem unaffected by her sister's name. "Is _Maya_ done cleaning up?"

Bruce caught on to the quick subject change. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Still, he placed a hand on her lower back and together they walked up the porch steps. "I've been meaning to ask you about that. Who is she?"

"One of Tony's old girlfriends who was in the attack with us," Saniya answered. "I think Pepper feels sorry for her."

His eyes roved over her face as his hand was on the doorknob, not turning just yet. "Do you feel sorry for her?"

"I mean, _yeah_ , a little bit. But if you're asking in a roundabout way if I trust her, then the answer is a resounding no." Saniya bit her lip. "It's just weird. She came to tell Tony something important and is now latching herself to Pepper like a freaking koala. I don't trust that."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully.

Her hand wrapped over his and turned the doorknob. And when she saw Maya and Pepper sitting on the couch together, the short-lived bubble that had shielded them from reality burst

Pepper managed a small grin. "There's still enough hot water if you want to take a shower."

A shower sounded amazing. In fact, nothing sounded nicer than washing away the grime and dirt that layered her skin. But when she thought about Pepper being left alone with Maya, her heart nearly burst out of her chest with panic.

 _Not alone_ , she corrected, _with Bruce_.

Bruce met her eyes. He nodded as if he knew what she was thinking.

So, she took a shower with the peace of knowing that Bruce would Hulk out if Maya tried anything devious. Her gun was placed on the sink and she moved the curtain in a position where she could see it at all times. The only thing in the shower was a bar of soap that smelt like oatmeal. _Better than nothing_ , she supposed, and began cleaning herself.

Outside the bathroom door was a short knock. Saniya glanced around the curtain with narrowed eyes. "Who is it?" she called out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," Bruce said. Her shoulders dropped. "I have some clothes for you. They won't fit, but Pepper found some safety pins."

"Thank you," she said. Saniya spread the curtain fully. "You can set them on the counter."

Bruce cleared his throat. "I think it's better if I leave them outside the door." An almost devilish smirk was on her face when she pictured him blushing.

When she had finished her shower, she realized he had been completely correct. The sweatpants pooled over her feet while her torso was lost in a button-down shirt. Pepper had been kind enough to help her hem the bottom of the sweatpants.

After that, it was Pepper's turn to take a shower. Without the businesswoman to entertain her, Maya had to resort to speaking to a hostile Saniya and an apologetic Bruce.

"Banner," she said with shock after finding out his last name. " _Banner_ , as in the Avengers?" Maya leaned back on the couch. She was seeing the scientist in a new light.

"So?" Saniya said, snippy.

Bruce placed a hand on her arm, giving Maya a trademarked apologetic glance. "Yes, that's me."

"You turn green!"

His smile was tense. "I'm aware."

Maya blinked rapidly. "I don't understand. That monster is so much larger than you. That's not possible. All that mass cannot come out of nowhere. How does it work?"

"He has a name," Saniya said, already becoming defensive on Bruce's behalf. "The Hulk is not a monster. He's... a Hulk." She looked towards Bruce for confirmation. "I actually don't know what he is exactly but the Hulk isn't _that monster_."

Maya shook her head. "No, of course not. I didn't mean it like that."

She tilted her head. "Then how did you mean it?" she challenged.

"Saniya," he said softly.

"I don't like what she's insinuating. That's all." She crossed her arms.

Maya glanced between Saniya and Bruce, trying to figure out which one was the biggest threat. "I'm sorry, doctor. I didn't mean anything by what I said. It's just that I've seen the videos and I remember thinking that you... um... the Hulk acted so animal-like. Honestly, it's fascinating to watch the mixture of human characteristics and feral instincts. It's hard to wrap my head around how that's you!"

Just as she opened her mouth, Bruce grabbed her hand and squeezed gently. "The Other Guy isn't easy to understand," he said, fidgeting in his seat. He stood up, pulling Saniya with him. "Do you want any tea?"

"No thank you," Maya said.

Bruce had no trouble leading Saniya into the kitchen. In a thinly veiled attempted to keep Saniya away from Maya, he had them stand by the kettle until it boiled and taught her the proper technique of tea making. In the end, Maya was awkwardly reading through one of Bruce's books while Saniya watched him drink his tea in the kitchen.

After he had drank the lost drop, she found herself unable to hold it in anymore. "I'm sorry I snapped at her," she whispered to him, afraid that Maya would overhear. It wasn't _her_ she was apologizing to.

"It wasn't something worth getting angry about," he replied.

"Well if you weren't going to get angry about what she said, someone had to," Saniya said. His eyebrows came together and he looked like he wanted to argue with her logic.

The bathroom door opened. Pepper came out with a towel wrapped around her head and wearing the same clothes as before. The whites of her eyes were light red. "I want to go back to the mansion," she said when everyone was looking at her. "I want to see if they found anything."

And that's what they did. They, meaning Maya, Bruce, and Pepper. Saniya took charge by calling for a SHIELD escort but stayed behind. She had had enough of that mansion to last a lifetime. Plus, she didn't need to be reminded of Tony's death. In fact, she was doing her best to block the whole experience from her memories.

* * *

Saniya was laying on the couch, throwing her phone –that had miraculously stayed with her– into the air. After five minutes of doing so, she was completely bored. So, she decided to call someone that she should have the second she was safe.

" _Saniya, I assume you're safe."_

She sighed. "Yeah, Nat, I'm fine."

" _Then why are you calling?"_

That stung a little. In fact, she physically recoiled at the indifference in her voice. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and not... dead."

" _I know."_ There was a long moment of silence. Just when Saniya considered hanging up, Natasha spoke again. _"I'm glad you're okay. But just because you were in an accident does not mean I'm not expecting that report,"_ she teased.

"I lost my laptop and notes, though," she complained.

" _No excuses. Welcome to the espionage workforce: bad hours and unreasonable bosses."_

"At least the pay's good," she sighed. Saniya positioned herself on her side, resting her head on a lumpy pillow that smelt like Bruce. "Have they found a body yet?"

" _No,"_ Natasha said, immediately understanding that she meant Tony. _"They've just sent divers into the ocean, but we can't expect them to find anything for a while. There's literally tons of debris to go through. I'll tell you if we find out anything on the helicarrier."_

"Okay," Saniya breathed out. Her fingers were digging into the sofa.

Natasha sighed. _"Can I give you some advice?"_

"Depends on the advice," she mumbled.

" _Don't overthink these types of things. In our line of work, people are constantly put in the line of danger. This won't be the first or last time that someone you know dies. You're going to end up killing yourself inside if you grieve for everyone."_

Her mouth fell open. "Are you seriously telling me _not_ grieve for Tony? What the hell, Nat?"

" _Grieving is for funerals. You can feel sad then. Right now, there's work to do, particularly that report."_

Saniya squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm not _not_ going to feel bad about this." Maybe taking advice from the Black Widow on something other than spying was a bad idea. "What if Clint suddenly dies? Are you not going to grieve for him?"

" _That's different."_

"How?" Saniya demanded.

" _He's my partner, my friend. Tony was never anything to you."_

A lump in her throat formed as she found some truth in that statement. He was never a true friend, but he wasn't nothing either. He meant something to her, even if it was only as a fond acquaintance.

"Has anyone told you that you're a tiny bit cold hearted?" Saniya said to her.

" _I believe I've been told that once or twice. Kind people don't become assassins,"_ Natasha said. Her tone sobered to a more serious one. " _Think about my advice. I'm only looking out for you."_

"In your own twisted way," she muttered under her breath. Saniya sat upright. "Natasha?" she said suddenly.

" _Yes?"_

"Was Tony your friend?"

Natasha cleared her throat. _"Would you like the honest answer or the short one?"_

Saniya resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want an honest answer."

" _He was my teammate. I preferred to keep him in that box."_

Saniya waited for more of an explanation, but it never came. She had a feeling that she had been told the short answer. "Nat?"

There was an unnatural huskiness to her voice. If she was speaking to a normal person, she would have assumed that she was close to tears. _"I have to go. Clint is being Clint again. Take care."_

"You too," she replied. "Shoot some Nazi's for us."

She ended the call reluctantly. Then, she sent a quick, obligatory text to Greg that she was going to stay in Malibu for longer than expected. He quickly replied back with a frowny face. He then began telling her about the manager who worked for a private security company and the cool skull-tentacle creature tattoo he had. He was so fascinated by it that he was considering getting one himself.

Just when he was finished telling her exactly where on his arms the tattoo would be, her phone died. She ended up falling asleep on the couch out of boredom until Bruce, Pepper, and Maya returned.

* * *

She woke to someone gently shaking her. Saniya blinked awake. She was laying on the couch the opposite direction she had fallen asleep in. "Bruce?" She looked out the windows. It was pitch black outside.

Only the outline of Bruce's face could be seen in the dark living room. "Pepper and Maya are staying at a hotel for the next couple of nights."

She was so drowsy that not even hearing that Pepper was staying with a mysterious woman could wake her up. "Oh," she said slowly. Her eyes drooped.

Bruce chuckled softly. "You can sleep on the couch if you want. I told them we'd meet up in the morning for breakfast."

It made sense to stay. There just wasn't enough energy in her to make it out the front door, let alone to a hotel. "Thanks," she mumbled. Saniya curled on her side, quickly falling back to sleep. She barely felt Bruce draping a blanket over her or the gentle "good-night".

* * *

Bruce awoke in a panic after he heard a glass break. He jolted up in bed, heart beating faster than safe. There was the familiar strain in his body as the Other Guy attempted to break free. He began to measure his pulse, finding it somewhat calming to focus on the slowing beats.

There was another thump.

 _Saniya was staying in his home_ , he reminded himself as his mind jumped to the worst scenario. She was a consistent sleepwalker. This wasn't surprising in the least. In his head, he went back in time to reassure himself that he locked the doors leading out to the beach. The last thing he wanted was for her to drown in her sleep.

He was deciding whether to wake Saniya up or let her be when the door slowly opened. Her head drooped forward and her feet never lifted from the floor as she scooted towards the window.

"Marsha, what are you... what... where..." She began reaching for the window latch. Bruce was quick to jump out of bed. He took her hands off the latch and placed himself between the window and her.

"Saniya," he said softly. His hand hovered over her shoulder, unsure whether to shake her awake or not.

"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha, so sweet, so pure," Saniya muttered, hair draped over her face like the girl from the _Grudge_.

It was odd having her stand in front of him, her eyes half-lidded and body swaying back and forth. She stumbled past him and bumped her legs against his bed. Then, to his surprise and mild horror, she slipped herself under his sheets and fell into an even deeper sleep.

At this point, Bruce knew that any reasonable person would grab a pillow and blanket then spend the rest of the night on the couch. That was what he should have done. He knew that quite well.

But Bruce hadn't had a woman in his bed for a long time. _Years_ in fact. So, the idea of sleeping next to another living person was very inviting. There was something calming about sleeping in the same bed as another person.

Another part of him knew that if he dared go under those blankets without at least waking her, he'd be the dirty old man he was building himself up to be. He shouldn't be actually considering this. It wasn't right.

Then again, it was just sleeping. He wouldn't dare do anything more than that. He was a good man.

"Damn it," he scolded himself as he found himself climbing into bed with her.

He closed his eyes, taking in everything from the slight dip in the mattress from the second body to the sound of deep breaths that weren't his own. Bruce imprinted this to his memory. There most likely wouldn't be another time like this.

It was obvious to him that what he was doing was creepy. To make himself feel better, he scooted to the edge of the bed so there wasn't any chance of them touching. For good measure, he placed his pillow between them.

Pillow-less and nearly hanging off the edge of the bed, he fell into a peaceful slumber, feeling a little less lonely. And for once, it seemed that the Other Guy was at peace as well. Saniya's calming effect was instantaneous. Unbeknownst to Bruce, he had the same effect on her.


	32. Part 2 -- Chapter 8

**This chapter was originally going to be muuuch longer but I ended up splitting it into two. So now Chapter 9 is partly written so hopefully I'll be able to post it quicker than usual.**

 **FutureOlympian: you're so sweet thank you for all your kind words :) honestly I'm not getting annoyed and am so grateful that you're taking time out of your day to leave a review. And omg I thought your last sentence was so funny. I'm glad people caught on that Greg might be getting tricked into a Hydra tattoo.**

* * *

With a groan, she rolled onto her stomach and spread her limbs like a starfish. Her eyes shot open when her hand landed on something soft. In a blurry haze, she ran her fingers through it. It felt like... _hair._

Saniya opened her eyes, squinting in the dull morning light to make out the form next to her. Bruce laying in the bed next to her. A painful fire lit ablaze on her cheeks when she realized she had woken him up. He blinked several times as his dazed eyes focused on her.

"If it makes you feel better, this isn't the first time I mysteriously showed up in someone's bed," she blurted. She shook her head. _That wasn't what she was trying to say_. "It happened to Clint and Natasha, too. I mean, I sometimes sleepwalk into bedrooms I'm not supposed to be in."

His face said it all: she was talking far too fast this early in the morning. She'd be surprised if he caught half of what she said. "It's okay," he said finally. "I... I noticed when you sleepwalked into here. I didn't mind."

She raised an eyebrow. Below the sheets, she was wiggling her toes with nervous energy. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

Bruce moved the pillow between their bodies behind his neck. "The bed has to be comfier than the couch. I understand why you'd rather sleep in here."

The mere thought of the couch made her back ache.

"In fact," he continued with a gulp, "maybe tomorrow night you can sleep in the bed again."

She shook her head. "I'm not kicking you out of your own bed." The offer was tempting, though. Who wouldn't want to sleep in comfort?

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "That isn't what I was saying."

After two beats of silence, she caught on. Bruce was flirting in his own way. Saniya turned on her side to face him, a smirk on her face. "There is plenty of room for two." Her eyes flickered to his lips then back up. Screw being 'just friends', she wanted to kiss him. Badly. Maybe she was reading all the signals wrong, but it seemed like he wanted to too.

She leaned in with clear intentions but stopped halfway. Bruce was making no attempt to lean away but wasn't moving towards her either. Their eyes locked. An unfamiliar emotion passed over his face. A second passed in pure silence, then they practically pounced on each other.

Bruce cupped her face with both hands while she threaded her fingers through his hair. Their lips molded against each other like perfect puzzle pieces. She lifted one of her legs over to straddle him. It wasn't until a strategic grind of her hips -a move that was notorious for driving men crazy- that he pushed her away.

The edges of his eyes were turning green. "Saniya..." he gasped.

"Are you okay?" she asked frantically.

He held up a finger. They didn't so much as breathe as he pressed his fingers to his pulse point. Together, they waited for his heartbeat to slow to a normal rate

Bruce ran his hands down his face. "That was too close," he muttered, more for his benefit than hers. "I can't ever do this with you."

Her face drained of blood. "What?"

"I can't have sex with you. I can't be intimate with you. I _can't_ do it ever," he told her with an edge of panic in his voice. "I need you to understand that."

It felt like she had swallowed a large pill that refused to go down. A clear line had been crossed. "I'm sorry," she said, words tumbling out of her mouth.

Bruce gulped. His movements were slow as if she were a skittish animal about to bolt. Eventually, he came to a sitting position. "No, I'm sorry that I scared you. I shouldn't have let things go that far." He was refusing to look her in the eye.

There was a long, agonizing moment of silence. "You didn't scare me," she admitted, though her rapid heartbeats said otherwise. "You don't scare me." There was a brief moment of panic that went through her when she realized he didn't believe her. Saniya scooted towards him until her knees were touching his legs. "Bruce, you're in control. Nothing would have happened."

Still, he didn't say anything.

Saniya dropped her head. Her nails picked at the sheets. "I'm sorry for pushing you," she said quietly.

Bruce shifted awkwardly. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't know that the Other Guy set boundaries like that."

"Now I'll know for next time."

Finally, she looked up. A soft blush settled on Bruce's cheeks and he began to fidget. "Next time?" he struggled out.

Saniya raised an eyebrow, feeling a devious smile come to her lips.

Bruce leaned forward, eyes widening. "I'm too old for you!" he said after several stutters.

"I've dated older." His eyes widened comically. She shook her head with a grin. "I'm _kidding._ " On the inside, though, she cringed at the memory of a man she had dated for several weeks that was a few decades older than Bruce. In her defense, he didn't look a day over forty, but that was beside the point.

She scratched at the back of her neck. "Do you..." she began. Saniya inhaled sharply. If she didn't say it now, she knew she'd never have the courage to ask later. "Do you even like me? I mean, romantically."

Bruce sighed. "I can't give you everything a better man could. I can't have children."

Her face scrunched. "I don't want children."

"I can't have sex." If Bruce expected some violent reaction, he didn't get it. "I'll _never_ be able to."

"I don't care!" she exclaimed. His eyebrows raised with disbelief. "Okay, I care a _little_ bit, but 'no sex' isn't a deal breaker. I'm not that shallow."

Bruce reached out to her, for the first time since the near-Hulk-incident he was touching her. "I didn't mean to imply that. I just–"

Saniya shook her head. "Why are you avoiding the question?" she loudly interrupted. "For once, can you give me a clear answer on how you feel about me?" When he didn't reply, her stomach began filling with butterflies hyped on cocaine. "It's okay if you don't like me," she said softly. "I'll understand."

The creases on his face lengthened with thought. "I care about you," he answered after a painful pause.

"Romantically?" she asked with blatant hope on her face.

A brief smile flashed on his face. "Yes."

"So," she began, leaning towards him, "is it okay if I do this?" She gently held his chin and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. In all, it hadn't lasted for more than two seconds.

Bruce cleared his throat. "I suppose that is okay," he said with uncertainty. He looked past her at the clock sitting on the nightstand. The smile on his face faded somewhat. "We're supposed to meet Pepper and Maya soon."

At the very mention of Pepper's name, her body was on high-alert. Bruce had the tendency to make her forget about her worries. And as much as she wanted to stay in bed with Bruce and figure out this new stage in their relationship, duty called.

Plus, she was almost certain he brought it up so she'd get out of his bed.

* * *

Pepper had chosen a hotel that reflected her tax bracket. The hotel itself was large with a green awning stretched over the entrance. It was the type of hotel she would never have been able to afford if she still had her job as a waitress. An eager valet stood under the awning twirling the keys of a red sportscar. She greeted them with a smile while tucking a large tip into her pocket.

The lobby made Bruce and Saniya feel like they had crawled out of a swamp and rolled in a dumpster for fun. People were certainly looking at them like they had. Correction: they were looking at _Saniya_ like she was the bog-monster, not Bruce. He was the neatest of the two. His hair was uncombed and his glasses smudged, but his green button-down shirt and khakis were presentable. Saniya, on the other hand, was a mess. She hadn't brushed her hair since yesterday and she was still dressed in Bruce's clothes. The sweatpants, though pinned to a manageable length, dragged on the floor and her boots weren't clean either. It wasn't until a woman in a sundress made a dramatic, eye-boggle at her chest did she realize that everyone could see her bra.

"Where do we go now?" she asked Bruce.

"It's on the fourth floor. I believe she said the elevators were to the left."

When they found Pepper's room, she answered almost immediately. They could hear Maya in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Pepper was running a comb through her hair and still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

She gave them a strained smile. While she looked far better than before, there was an unmistakable worry on her face. "We'll be down in five minutes. Maybe after breakfast we can buy new clothes," she said to Saniya.

Saniya locked eyes with Maya, who had just come out of the bathroom with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. She attempted to push down the uneasy feeling in her throat. "Pepper, do you want me to stay up here with you until you get ready?" Saniya offered.

Pepper shook her head. "There's a bar downstairs in the restaurant. You can wait for us down there."

If Bruce hadn't been standing next to her, she would have started to argue her way into the room. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth to calm her nerves. Pepper's face softened. "I'm still on edge from what happened too," she admitted. "It's okay."

Considering that Maya was one of the reasons she was still on edge, Pepper didn't quite understand like she thought she did. Still, her heart was in the right place and Bruce's hand on her shoulder was so warm and she couldn't find it in herself to fight back.

"My phone's dead, so just scream really loud if you need me," Saniya said.

They made the long, judgmental walk to the bar. It was empty except for the few day drinkers. Bruce and Saniya took a seat at the end of the bar.

She flagged down the bartender. "Two shots of your cheapest tequila please."

Bruce shook his head. "I don't drink," he said.

"They're both for me."

His eyebrows came together. "It's before noon." There was a distinct disapproval in his voice that made her shoulders droop.

The bartender slid the two shot glasses towards her. Saniya tapped her fingers on the wood. "I just really need a drink," she sighed. Maybe it was her defeated expression or the way the words plopped out her mouth like slugs, but he didn't say a word as she downed the two glasses. He placed a hand on her wrist, rubbing circles on her skin.

"Bruce," she said so softly he almost didn't hear her, "am I just being paranoid or do you also think something bad is about to happen?"

He paused in thought. Bruce watched her with knowing eyes. "Why do you think something bad is going to happen?"

With a groan, she dropped her head onto his shoulder. "I don't know," she sighed. "It's just a gut feeling." Happy would approve of her following her instincts, but it was driving her insane. The nagging feeling refused to disappear, and it seemed she was the only person feeling that way.

"Nothing bad is going to happen," he told her. "We're safe."

"But here's the thing," she lifted her head to meet his eyes, "I don't _feel_ like we are. You know that phrase 'the calm before the storm'? I can feel it building up. Maybe," she drifted off as a spark flashed in her eyes, "maybe it's a Loki thing."

Bruce frowned. "Loki?"

"Yes, the evil bastard. I have the same energy signatures as him floating around my body." Bruce winced. "Maybe I have some extra danger sense," she said.

"Saniya," he said with clear hesitation, "I don't think that's it."

"What then?" she demanded. "Why else would I feel like this? It makes perfect sense."

The creases on his face deepened with concern. "It hasn't even been a day since the attack at the mansion," he reminded her. She pulled away from him. Bruce let his hand drop. "You're feeling paranoid because you still are–"

Saniya kicked at the bar with quiet thumps. "My mind's messing with me, isn't it?"

He nodded mutely.

"That makes more sense than me having an internal danger radar." Her eyes drifted towards the restaurant exit. The acceptance that her mind was locked in survival mode didn't ease the nagging feeling.

"If you ever want to talk about it...," he drifted off, letting it speak for itself.

She slapped her hands on the bar. "Okay. _Okay_. I just need to check on Pepper first." When Bruce opened his mouth in protest, she covered his mouth with her hand. "One check-up and that's it. After that, I'll stop myself from being paranoid."

Bruce could see the huge flaw –she couldn't exactly stop herself from feeling like the world was caving in– but he was supportive at least. "I'll wait for you down here," he said.

She brushed her hand along his shoulders as she left the bar. There was an impending sense of doom hanging over her head. It didn't make her feel better when she imagined ghost Tony haunting her if anyone hurt Pepper. And without Bruce, there wasn't anything standing in the way of her growing anxiety.

By the time she had reached the elevator, her heart was pounding like she had finished a marathon. Saniya jammed the fourth-floor button with her thumb.

"Go faster," she gritted her teeth as she bounced on her heels.

Saniya jumped through the doors as they opened on the right floor. She stormed down the hallway, only stopping when she noticed that Pepper's door was open.

"Pepper, Pepper, Pepper," someone cooed so faintly that if the hallways hadn't been so quiet, Saniya never would have heard. She strained her ears to hear the rest of what he was saying, but he was too far away.

 _I hope I'm not overreacting,_ she thought to herself as she readied her gun. Just as she had been trained, she stayed low and crept towards the door.

"Look, if you want to launch product next year, I need Stark," Maya rushed out. "He just lacked incentive. Now he has one."

 _That_ sounded dubious enough to make her round the corner with a death glare. Aldrich Killian whirled his head around. He was holding Pepper against the wall by her throat. The only sounds Pepper could make were short gasps and her face was losing color fast.

Saniya aimed her gun at his chest. Natasha's words of wisdom flooded back to her _"Don't bother aiming for the head. You'll miss. Aim at the center of mass and keep shooting until they can't get up."_

Her finger itched to pull the trigger. "Put her down," she growled

He smirked at her shaking hands. "Or what? You'll shoot me?"

She pulled the trigger. Maya screamed and scrambled behind the bed. Pepper dropped to the ground with a sickening thump. There were red finger marks around her neck and she was coughing up a lung.

Killian pressed his hand to the hole in his shirt as he staggered back. The entrance wound glowed. "You must be Saniya," he hissed. Killian straightened his shirt as if the bullet hadn't affected him.

He took a step towards her and she panicked. Saniya emptied the rest of the gun into his chest, but that didn't stop him. He snatched it from her hands and tossed it across the room. The picture frame above Maya shattered.

Saniya threw a punch towards his jaw. Killian caught her arm and twisted. His hand began to glow and the next thing she knew, her skin was burning. She screamed. Saniya tried to pull herself away. He wouldn't let go. A twisted smile was on his face.

Pepper struggled to her feet. Killian kicked her back down.

Every part of her recoiled when she first smelt the stench of her burning flesh. It shocked her back into action. Saniya clicked her heels together and jammed the blade into Killian's crouch. Through the pain, she felt satisfaction at his high pitched yelp. He fell to his knees, finally releasing her. She dragged Pepper from the room.

Pepper's legs wobbled. She was threateningly close to falling over. Saniya still tugged as fast as she could.

If she had been able, Saniya would have pried open the elevator doors herself. Pepper pressed the down button. The doors didn't open, at least not fast enough. Killian stumbled out of the doorway, eyes settling on them.

Pepper backed away. "I think we should take the stairs."

It wasn't up for discussion when Killian began limping towards them. They burst through the stairwell doors as fast as they could. Several times Saniya kept Pepper from tripping down the set of stairs. Above them, they could hear Killian's running.

"He's after me," Pepper rasped after they had gone down several flights.

"Duh!" Saniya yelled, jumping over several steps.

"Tony's still alive!" Pepper gasped out. "They want me as leverage!"

That almost made her lose her footing. Pepper caught her in time. "We are not talking about this right now!"

Their lungs were aflame as they reached the main lobby. One of Killian's men stood at the bottom of the stairs with a satisfied smirk. It began to falter when only Pepper slowed at the sight of him.

Saniya jumped from the steps and tackled him. Her heels clicked together. And without a second thought, she stabbed the blade into the man's side.

Pepper passed them through the lobby door, only looking back to make sure Saniya was following.

"Ow, crap, Natasha makes it look easy," she groaned as she moved back to her feet.

Pepper swore loudly as the man grabbed Saniya's ankle with a glowing ember arm. Her skin was burnt instantly. He pulled back her leg. Saniya fell and her head cracked violently on the bottom step. This was the sort of fall that people didn't get up from.

There was a growing puddle of blood dripping down her head and onto her limp hand. Every second that passed, she felt herself drifting away. Killian stepped over her, but she didn't notice. Pepper was crying, but she couldn't hear her. Saniya was disconnected from the world, only able to focus on the blood dripping from her head.

 _So this is what dying feels like_.

With the last shred of strength within her, she blanked her mind and pulled. Blood flew up from the floor and back in its proper place in her body. Saniya was lifted through the air and back to her feet. Her bubbling skin turned smooth, the only evidence of the burn was the sharp phantom pain running through her leg. And when she couldn't pull anymore, she was mid-air.

The man fell as easily as he had the first time. He took all the damage as she put her whole weight on him.

There was no way she was making the same mistake twice. She grabbed Pepper's arm, ignored the pain, and ran past him. Pepper caught her as they rounded the corner. The room wouldn't stop moving like she was trapped on a never-ending merry-go-round. Saniya blinked her eyes to clear her blurry vision.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked breathlessly.

"Just lightheaded," she answered truthfully. Bringing up the fact that she had almost died didn't seem right at that current moment.

Saniya led the way to the bar as fast as she could. People were staring but no one stood in their way. Their faces told the whole story: they were terrified. She no longer had her gun and Pepper was not trained in self-defense. They were at a clear disadvantage and were painfully aware of it. The searing burn mark on her arm and forming bruises on Pepper's neck were proof of that.

"Bruce!" she yelled from across the restaurant.

He looked up. The blood drained from his face when he saw the state they were in. Saniya grabbed his hand and looked over her shoulder. Standing at the entrance of the restaurant was the man from the stairwell. Killian was undoubtedly not far behind.

She released both Pepper and Bruce's hands. Then, she stole a beer right out of someone's grasp and chucked the glass at the man's head. He ducked, much to her dismay.

"Who's that?" Bruce pulled her back.

"Later," she clipped.

Saniya grabbed Pepper and Bruce then sprinted towards the fire exit. A waiter carrying a stack of trays jumped out of their way. The plates shattered behind them.

They pushed through the fire exit. The hotel erupted with loud alarms. Saniya covered her ears. It was a sensory overload.

They needed a car. And there was no shortage of them. The parking lot was practically bursting with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Problem was, they didn't have time for her to find tools and hotwire a getaway.

In a stroke of brilliance, she remembered the valet.

"Keep running across the parking lot. I'll get us a car," she said, already backing away. Bruce's forehead creased. Pepper and he hesitated. "He's right behind us, go!" she yelled.

Saniya ran the perimeter of the hotel. She didn't look back to see if they had done what she had told them to. Her eyes stayed forward and focused. Bless Agent Musa and her training; without it, she would have died in that hotel room.

It was the rigid training that kept her from collapsing with fear and unbearable pain. Each step was like stepping on needles.

Still, she pushed on because she had to. Bruce and Pepper were counting on her.

People were beginning to evacuate the hotel. The valet stood at the entrance nervously, holding a set of keys while a woman in a sleek dress berated her. Her stomach flopped. _There were so many people._ Killian was bound to have to have more men around. It would be naive to assume otherwise. Still, she didn't see a familiar face in the growing crowd. Maybe that meant that they were ahead of him.

She pushed through the crowd with no regard for other people. If they were in her way, they were pushed.

The woman in the sleek dress was calming down now. Her cheeks faded from bright red to a soft pink. The valet bashfully ducked her head, clutching the keys in her sweaty hands. Saniya yanked them from her.

"Hey!" she cried out.

The woman stared at Saniya like she was insane. "Young lady, I don't know where–"

Saniya moved past her as quickly as she could to the drivers side of the car.

"That's my car!"

"Not anymore," she muttered. She ducked into the front seat and locked all the doors. The woman yanked the door handle vigorously, screaming that she was going to call the police.

The car purred to life. It was an almost orgasmic sound considering that it was the most expensive car she had ever _touched_ in her life. Saniya looked down at the pedals and thanked the heavens that Greg had taught her how to drive a manual.

With one foot on the clutch and the other on the gas pedal, she forced her way through the crowd of evacuated tourists. An unstoppable ton of metal was a good incentive for people to jump out of her way. Soon enough, she was making a u-turn and speeding back to where she had left Bruce and Pepper. Her hand was practically glued to the horn as people continued to get in her way.

Bruce was protecting Pepper, turning greener by the second. The Hulk was seconds away from making an appearance. Killian's man stood in a defensive stance with both arms glowing a bright orange. He took a step forward. Bruce and Pepper stepped back. It was an old-fashioned standoff.

"I'm going to Hell," she said as she rammed her car into the man. He rolled over the windshield to the pavement. Pepper screamed. "Get in!" she yelled and unlocked the doors. Pepper jumped into the passenger seat while Bruce took the seat behind Saniya. She looked in her rearview mirror as she sped away. The man was talking on a cellphone and pointing at the car.

A plan was already forming in her head, one that would make Clint and Natasha proud for the agent-like way she was thinking. Main objective: staying safe no matter the cost. She looked over at Pepper. Her skin had paled considerably and she was shaking. Bruce was struggling to keep himself under control. All this was caused by Killian and that man. He had hurt the people she cared about. And if staying safe meant killing someone for Bruce and Pepper, she was willing to do it.

At this point, she'd do almost anything for them, though she hoped it wouldn't get that far.


	33. Part 2 -- Chapter 9

**So in case no one noticed, I changed the title of the story. I wasn't sure how I felt about the last title. It was sort of cheesy haha. Let me know on your thoughts of whether I should change it back or to something else. I know right now it's not the best title but I'm terrible at coming up with them, so it'll have to stay that way for now.**

 **Katie Moon: Aww thank you! I'm glad you like my action chapters but this is another one haha**

* * *

Nobody spoke until she was on the highway. Her knuckles were white from clutching the steering wheel. "Okay," Saniya broke the silence, "here's what we're going to do. We're going to ditch this car and then call Natasha. After that... After... I don't know what we're going to do after that, but we'll figure it out."

Bruce nodded silently, his head resting between his knees.

Pepper fidgeted with the bottom of her shirt until it was straightened completely. "I'm sorry." She glanced back at Bruce then to Saniya. "They were after me, not you two. I'm sorry you were pulled into this mess."

"You didn't pull us into anything," Bruce said as he lifted his head slightly. "It's not your fault."

She shook her head. "Maya worked for Killian," Pepper revealed. "Or I suppose she is still working for him. That's how they found us. I never realized..."

Saniya felt her eyes widen. "She sold you out. I knew we couldn't trust her!" She slammed her palm against the dashboard. Pepper flinched from her outburst.

This time, Pepper didn't bother defending Maya. She folded her hands in her lap and stared straight ahead. "Tony's alive," she said after an awkward length of silence. Saniya's throat closed at the mention of the name. Bruce inhaled sharply. "He left a message for me at the mansion. He's out there somewhere."

If he was alive, Saniya doubted he was okay. Pepper had briefly mentioned that Killian planned to use her as leverage against Tony. So, either he was captured and being coerced to do something or he was yet to be. Things weren't boding well for him.

"Are you sure it was him?" Saniya questioned. _She had to make sure_.

Pepper clenched her jaw. "Yes."

Bruce exhaled. He began to sit upright, his skin no longer a sickly green. "Did he say where he was?" he asked

Pepper shook her head. "No, he didn't. It's... It's probably safer that way," she explained. "SHIELD might know where he is, though."

Saniya's grip tightened on the steering wheel so they wouldn't notice her shaking hands. "I called Natasha yesterday. She thinks he's dead. They don't know anything."

Bruce tilted his head incredulously. "I like Natasha, I do, but do you really believe her? I don't want to call her untrustworthy, but you can trust her to lie."

Carefully, she turned the car into the parking lot of a large supermarket off the highway. If she didn't need both her feet to drive, she'd be tapping them uncontrollably.

"The way I see it, there's two reasons why Nat would tell me Tony's dead. One, he's dead. Just dead." The car came to a stop. The palms of her hand were glued to the wheel. She couldn't let them see her hands shake. "Or two, they tell me he's dead so we don't go looking for him because he's in a lot of danger. So, he's dead or as good as dead."

She was either about to be punched or Pepper was going to cry, she wasn't sure which was worse. Pepper clenched her fist. A sock to the jaw was far more likely.

Bruce leaned between the front seat so that he was separating the two women. "Tony doesn't go down easily," he said.

She leaned in so they were touching. She dropped her hands from the wheel. Her hands were steady now. "Yeah, but neither do those two at the hotel. I bet that there's more where they came from, and they're probably all after Tony." _If he was still alive, that is._

Pepper shook her head. "No," she whispered. She cleared her throat. "I've seen Tony go up against dangerous people like them. He's going to come out of this alive."

Saniya kept her cynical mouth closed, finally. Convincing Pepper and Bruce that she was right wasn't going to change the fact that Tony was missing. While they were sure that Tony was fine, she knew they were only going to find a body. They were going to see for themselves eventually, so what was the point arguing?

She scanned the parking lot with shrewd eyes. Now they had come to the part of the plan that was... unplanned. As it turned out, nobody knew Natasha's number or even _any_ number that could connect them to SHIELD. Everything was stored on Saniya's phone, which was very much dead.

Pepper was in the same boat as her. Jarvis was such a helpful assistant that she didn't have the need to memorize numbers either. But she knew Tony and her father's number by heart, but that wasn't helpful at the moment.

Bruce, however, had distanced himself from SHIELD when he went to work for Stark Industries. He knew Tony's number, Pepper's, even Saniya's by memory. By choice, he hadn't asked for Natasha or Clint's number. He figured that if they needed him, they could send a message through Tony or Jarvis.

"Small bump in the road," Saniya commented, "big bump actually. We're all idiots."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Don't you work for SHIELD? I feel like out of all of us, it's you who should know-"

"Let's ignore that," she interrupted, playfully glaring at her. The tiniest smile ever was on Pepper's face, followed by a wince and a gentle rub at the bruises on her throat. Saniya began tapping her foot against the leather seat. "So we need to disappear and hope SHIELD comes to us. Killian works for a big tech company or something. I never paid attention to– "

"He works for AIM," Pepper told them. "Which works for the Mandarin."

Saniya found herself temporarily stunned. Bruce cleared his throat. " _The_ Mandarin?" he questioned.

Pepper nodded. "The terrorist, yes." The almost nonchalant way she said that was terrifying to Saniya. How were they not freaking out?

She collapsed in her seat. "This is bad, so bad," she whispered. Her shoulders rolled back and became tense. "We need to get out of this car now," she rushed out. Saniya pulled back her buckle and threw open the door. "Come on!" she urged when neither Bruce nor Pepper moved.

Bruce slipped out of the car. "Saniya, what's going on?"

"What's going on?" she repeated frantically. She ran her fingers through her hair. "They're tracking this car. We don't know what type of resources the Mandarin or AIM has. They might be using security cameras or facial recognition or some crooked cops or... or... _something_. We need to ditch this car now!" Saniya was already backing away.

Bruce and Pepper hurried after her.

"It's going to be okay," she said in an attempt to calm Saniya.

"No, it's not," she snapped. "They just tried to kidnap you and now they know my face and Bruce's. _And_ the Mandarin has control of an _enormous_ tech company. We need a new ride now because they sure as hell can trace us with a click of a button."

Bruce gently grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop. "Take a deep breath," he told her.

Saniya resisted the urge to stomp her feet. _They were wasting time_. "But–"

"I'm not letting you go until you take a deep breath," he said. Bruce ducked her head so they were the same height. "Mistakes are made when people are nervous."

He had a point there. So, she did what he said. Bruce guided her through several deep breathes with a soft "inhale... one... two... three... hold... exhale". After the brief breathing exercise, she didn't feel any more relaxed.

His hand dropped from her arm. "So, what's the plan?"

Stealing another car was her first instinct, but that would draw attention from the local police and terrorists alike. She doubted they would assume it was a coincidence that a car was stolen less than a mile away from where their previous car had been abandoned.

Then, Pepper pointed out a bus loading with passengers. Bruce spoke to the driver and found out that the bus would stop a quarter of a mile away from a motel. Since there wasn't exactly a better option, Saniya hesitantly followed Bruce and Pepper onto the bus. There were no cameras by the bus stop or on the bus, so it was a course of action she didn't have too many problems with.

She scanned every face on the bus, which wasn't much. There were two people sitting on the back, a couple, who were looking at them weird then glancing back at their phones. An elderly woman was sitting in the front set of seats with a bag of groceries next to her and a family of tourists right behind her. Saniya made them take a seat in the middle, equal distance from everyone.

"Stop staring at them," Pepper mumbled several minutes into the ride.

"Only when they stop staring at us," she replied from the corner of her mouth.

Bruce dropped his hand so their fingers were brushing. "They're not staring at us."

Saniya glared at him. "I know I sort of freaked out back there and that's why you're not taking me seriously, but I _know_ when someone is staring." Pepper raised her eyebrows and Bruce didn't look any more convinced than before. She was outnumbered. Her head bounced back against the seat. " _Fine_. I'm just being paranoid." She made a point of scooting away from Bruce and crossing her arms.

With them watching her every move like she was having a psychotic breakdown, she couldn't spy on the couple anymore.

Her unbending insistence that the couple was watching them faltered when they got off at a gas station. Pepper placed a hand on her shoulder. "See? There's nothing to worry about."

 _There was plenty to worry about_ , she thought to herself. She had no idea where Pepper got _that_ idea.

The bus passed the _Mysterious Sands_ motel. It was painted a dull blue with a giant seashell sign. The best part, the parking lot was vacant. It was the perfect place to hide for a few hours. A quarter mile later, the bus stopped in front of an empty beach.

Pepper cleared her throat with a wince when the bus drove off. "What now?" Her voice was quiet. It was clear that the bruises were making it hard to talk.

Saniya shrugged. "We could corner ourselves in the motel and when they come knocking on our door, we set the Hulk loose on them."

Bruce frowned. Then, after several moments tilted his head in thought. "That... isn't the worst idea," he admitted. If anyone was going to beat invincible bad guys, it was the Hulk. "But, it isn't a good one either."

"It's the only one we have."

A light sparked in his eyes. "A Hulk incident doesn't go unnoticed. It'll be a giant flare for SHIELD." The light fizzled out. "Let's make sure it doesn't come to that, though. I'm sure the last thing that motel needs is a Hulk doing renovations."

They continued to brainstorm on their walk to the motel. All they could come up with was closing the blinds in the motel and waiting for everything to blow over. Of course, Saniya was seriously considering buying a tent and camping on a beach to be off the grid. Though, she chose not to mention it. Bruce and Pepper didn't seem like the "roughing it" type. _That_ plan was neatly tucked away as Plan B.

Bruce pointed them towards their room after he got the room key from the office. "They don't get a lot of business in winter," he said, sounding almost relieved. There were fewer people around if there was a confrontation. Fewer people who could be hurt.

"Did you tell him that you're traveling along?" Saniya probed.

"I said exactly what you told me to, don't worry." He had a playful smile on his face. "Verbatim, actually."

She smiled back at him, bumping against his side as he opened the door. "Good. Maybe that'll throw the Mandarin off our tracks for a while."

The walls were plain except for a painting of the ocean over the television. There were two beds with sickly green comforters draped over them. It was small but manageable.

Immediately, Saniya pulled shut the drapes, not before casting a suspicious glare over the parking lot. It was empty and she hoped it would stay that way. She perched herself at the end of the bed closest to the window.

Pepper rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She cleared her throat, then rubbed her throat. A shadow passed over her face that Saniya couldn't make sense of. "I need a shower," she said with a light croak to her voice. The bathroom door shut quietly behind her. Pepper needed time alone and they were willing to give her that.

Again, Saniya was on her feet, looking out the window. She scanned the parking lot.

Still empty.

This went on for several minutes. She sat at the edge of the bed, catching a glimpse through the crack in the curtains then got up to look out the window. Then she sat back down and tried to restrain herself from standing back up. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Saniya felt Bruce's eyes on her. He _knew_. She knew he knew that she was freaking out inside. He probably knew she knew that he knew–

"Saniya?"

She tore herself away from the window. He was sitting on the bed with the pillow propped against his back. Saniya plopped herself next to him, head resting on his shoulder. "I was just curious what was going on out there," she said innocently.

Bruce wasn't convinced. He lifted his arm to put around her shoulder, stopped to reconsider, then continued. "We're safe," he said.

Saniya remained silent.

"We are," he insisted.

"For now," she muttered.

"Exactly," he said. "We're safe for now. You can relax."

She made a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat. "I don't get it. How can you be so calm?"

Bruce's hand accidentally brushed against the burn on her arm. He probably hadn't noticed it since the button down she was wearing covered it so well. Saniya dug her teeth into her bottom lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. And when he looked down at her, she smothered her face into his shirt.

"Yoga does wonders for my temperament," he answered with dry sarcasm. His eyebrows knitted together. "Are you okay?"

She lifted her face from his chest with a grimace. "I need something to keep my mind off everything," she replied.

The answer to that was a cheesy western movie they found on a random channel on the television. It worked. For a little while.

* * *

They had stowed themselves away in that motel room until the sun had gone down. Their stomachs ached, but Saniya refused to leave the room until nightfall. And when the sun had gone down, she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling and kept blocking the door.

"You two aren't taking this seriously!" she cried out. "The Mandarin is after Pepper and you're acting like we're here on vacation!"

Pepper placed her hands on her hips. "This is overkill," she said bluntly. "We've been in here for hours and nothing bad has happened."

Bruce sighed. "Saniya, we have to eat."

"Humans can survive three weeks without food," Saniya replied. She shuffled her feet. "That black sedan has been sitting outside our room for three hours. Nobody has gotten out of the car or in. They're watching us!"

Pepper pulled back the curtains. Saniya cringed at how obvious she made it. If the people in the black sedan hadn't known they were spotted, they did now. Pepper squinted. "I don't see anyone in the car."

"That's because the windows are tinted," she said. "You both know I've been watching it for hours."

The creases on Bruce's forehead lengthened. "Maybe they can't afford a room and need a safe place to sleep for the night."

Saniya scoffed. "If they can afford _that_ kind of car, they can afford a room."

Bruce peeked out the window, more carefully than Pepper had. "Are you sure nobody has gotten out of the car?" he asked. They locked eyes. Confidently, she nodded. He looked over at Pepper. "I believe her. I don't know if it's AIM, but maybe Saniya is on to something."

Pepper sighed. "It's not that I don't believe you, Saniya, it's just... you've been acting erratic since the hotel. I'm worried about you."

She lifted her chin. "I'm not making this up."

"I know, honey," Pepper said, her face softening. "But you're acting like everyone is the enemy. You nearly gave the maid a heart attack when she stopped by to give us more towels."

"Maybe she deserved it for sneaking up on us!"

Bruce held up his hands. Always the mediator. "I'll check out the car," he said. Saniya felt her jaw snap shut. "If it's someone who works for the Mandarin, I'll give you a signal and you two hide."

Pepper nodded, confident that there was nothing harmless in the sedan. "We are finding something to eat after this." She gave Saniya a pointed look just as her stomach growled.

Before he could answer the door, Saniya grabbed his arm. "Maybe I should go," she said.

He stared at her incredulously. "Why?"

She pulled herself closer to him. It was easier to think rationally when she used him as her metaphoric rock. "Because I'm the one who thinks that sedan is up to no good." Pepper had averted her eyes, not knowing whether this was a private moment or not. "What if they attack you or something?"

"If something happens," he started, "I don't think _I'm_ the one you need to worry about." Bruce edged open the door. "Don't open this door for anyone but me."

They watched Bruce walk up to the car with his hands in his pockets. He knocked on the window and it rolled down. His mouth was moving. Saniya failed to make out what he was saying. The door to the sedan opened. A burly woman stepped out.

She was wearing all black clothes and a large belt. On the hip facing away from Bruce was a gun holster.

"Crap, crap, crap," Saniya hissed.

Pepper gulped. "California is an open carry state," she said quietly, though unconvincingly. "Maybe she's just..." her voice drifted off. There was nothing innocent about an armed woman sitting in a parking lot for hours.

Bruce continued to talk to her as a man twice Saniya's size climbed out of the driver's seat. There was a gun on his hip as well.

Suddenly, the woman slammed Bruce's head into the car's windshield. A large crack was left behind as he crumpled to the pavement.

"Hide under the bed," she told Pepper. Saniya grabbed a lamp and waited by the door.

Chills ran up her spine as the Hulk roared. Pepper froze halfway into her hiding space, her face ashen. She locked eyes with Saniya. "Are you going to fight them?"

"If they come in here, then yeah," she answered, sounding calmer than she felt. "Don't come out for anything." Pepper looked like she was about to argue. Then, she saw something through the window that made her jaw snap shut.

Saniya risked a peek. There had been six people in the car in total. The Hulk was tossing two in the air like rag dolls and smashing them onto the hood of the car. One of the men was barely alive. He was weakly crawling from the Hulk's large hands. The other was clearly dead.

Three had scattered. Their skin wasn't glowing orange like Killian's had back in the hotel. Saniya assumed they were mercenaries sent to kidnap Pepper or AIM thugs without the scary powers. They had their guns drawn but were at a loss at what to do. Bullets weren't exactly useful against the Hulk.

One person was missing, though: the woman.

She searched the parking lot but didn't see her.

The door knob shattered. The woman pushed her shoulder against the door and it burst open. In a desperate attempt, Saniya threw the lamp at her. She ducked.

She was much larger than Saniya in both height and muscle mass. Natasha's advice trickled into the front of her mind. Bigger usually meant slower.

Bigger also meant more powerful. One hit and Saniya _knew_ she'd go down.

The punch came at half the speed of what Natasha usually threw at her. She ducked with ease.

The mercenary punched again. Saniya dodged and drew herself in closer. Her elbow collided with the woman's stomach then smacked into the bottom of her chin.

She didn't double over like she had expected her to. The mercenary pushed her away with only one hand. A streak of satisfaction ran through her when she rubbed at the bottom of her chin with a scowl.

Saniya clicked her heels together. Two short blades slid from Saniya's boots.

"Where is she?" the mercenary growled, unfazed.

The first gunshot was fired. Then, the Hulk released a howl so feral that even the mercenary shrunk with fear. Saniya made the mistake of turning her head towards the window.

The mercenary clocked her in the jaw. Saniya stumbled back. She smashed Saniya into the window. It left small ribbons of cracks in the glass.

She pressed her gun into Saniya's temple. A cold shower of terror rushed from her head to her toes. "I'm only asking one more time. Where. Is–"

Someone outside screamed bloody murder. A dark shadow was coming over them, growing bigger and bigger. _I'm going to die if I don't move_ was the only clear thought she had. "Don't!" she screeched and her mind blanked.

The glass began breaking in slow motion as the front end of the car broke through the wall. Slowly, her back was being pressed against the front bumper. Saniya dropped to her knees and crawled under it as it inched forward. She rolled to the bed and grabbed onto whatever part of Pepper she could get a firm grasp on. Then, she pulled.

Pepper was halfway out from under the bed when the car smashed through the room, taking the mercenary with it. Plaster and broken glass flew everywhere. The bed she had just been under was crushed. Pepper's limp hands turned into a vice-grip.

Outside, a second car pulled into the parking lot. Moments later, there was the sound of never-ending machine gun fire. The Hulk still stomped and threw bodies, with more ferocity this time. They were just making him angrier.

"We need to run," Pepper gasped. "We can't stay here."

"Where do we go?" Saniya was shaking.

The sickening sound of a body being pounded into a pancake was enough to answer her question: anywhere but here.

Her mind was frazzled. She wasn't thinking straight when she shoved her phone into Pepper's pocket. "Take it in case something happens."

Pepper looked at her like she was crazy. "It's dead!"

"You're dating Tony Stark! I'm sure he taught you how to charge phones with a potato or something. Just take it!"

When they ran out the door, Saniya turned the direction with the most foliage to hide in.

The gunfire was inconsistent now as it became clear that mere bullets wouldn't stop the Hulk. They screamed as somebody skidded past them. The man groaned when he came to a stop but didn't get up.

Saniya saw one of the mercenaries aim his gun at her. Her body didn't react quick enough. The bullet violently ripped through her leg. She crumpled to the ground with immediate sobs. Pepper tried to drag her back to her feet.

He raised his gun again, leveling it at her head.

Just as the bullet was fired, it moved back into the gun chamber. The bullet in her leg repaired her muscle on its way out of her body.

For a moment, everything wavered and Saniya was shaking. Her head was pounding. The pressure on her brain was too much.

Saniya fell right as time moved forward again. The bullet just barely grazed her.

She grabbed her head. It felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer, not to mention the phantom pain in her leg. Pepper grabbed her arm to pull her back up, but Saniya knew she wasn't going to get away in time.

"Get out of here," she grunted. There was no way Pepper could drag her fast enough so that the mercenaries couldn't catch them. Plus, she couldn't play dead with Pepper forcing her to stand up.

Pepper froze. "I'm not leaving you," she replied with a set jaw. She put Saniya's arm around her shoulder and lifted. Saniya yelped loudly before she could explain why it was better to leave her. The Hulk jerked his head towards them. Then, a particularly stupid mercenary fired his machine gun and had the Hulk's attention again.

"Put her down," a voice behind them said.

They stopped. It was the mercenary who had shot her.

"Ms. Potts, you don't want this to get worse."

"Do it," Saniya hissed from the corner of her mouth.

Pepper lowered her to the ground and lifted her hands in the air. "Bruce!" Pepper yelled hoarsely. The Hulk was too fixated on expressing his anger on the mercenaries still shooting at him to come to her rescue.

The mercenary yanked Pepper's arm and pressed the gun into her temple. He flicked it slightly towards Saniya to show he had no plans to kill her, but _would_ if she tried anything. Pepper stared with disbelief as Saniya stayed laying on the ground.

Saniya valued her own skin more than Pepper's, and no matter what she did, she knew she'd get shot. She wasn't willing to risk it being lethal. As much as she wanted to play the part of the hero or martyr, there was no justifying a bullet to the head for an act of selflessness.

It was impressive how fast he dragged a kicking Pepper into the second sedan. Before Saniya could even groan with pain, Pepper was stuffed into the backseat.

"Let's go!" he yelled from the car. The Hulk threw chunks of pavement at the people who began escaping his wrath.

The Hulk was about to run after the speeding car when he heard a loud cry come from Saniya. She had pulled up the leg of her sweatpants to double check that she was, in fact, not bleeding out. If she closed her eyes, she could feel droplets of blood running down her legs and soaking her socks. She brushed against her smooth skin with a shaking thumb.

Bad idea. It felt like she had jammed her finger in a real bullet wound.

He pounded his fist into the pavement and roared at the sky. She curled herself into a ball when he chucked a part of the hotel room over her head.

"Please recognize me," she whimpered. "Please, Thor, do your god thing and don't let Bruce kill me like this."

The mini tantrum slowly came to an end. She flinched as the Hulk stomped towards her. It was one thing to see the Hulk behind a glass cage and another to be in the middle of his warpath.

He stopped in front of her. She uncovered her head to look up at him. The expression on his face was unreadable.

"Hi!" she blurted, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

Hulk tilted his head and let out a loud, exasperated huff. If she didn't know any better, she would assume that he thought she was wasting his time.

"Maybe," she started, "maybe it would be a good idea to bring Bruce back."

He let out a snarl. "Hulk hate puny Bruce!"

She held out her hands, wincing as she scooted herself across the pavement. "Okay!" she said hysterically. "Okay, okay!" Saniya swore as she accidentally scraped her leg. A new tendril of pain made its way up her spine.

He dropped to his knees. Even while crouching he towered over her. He leaned closer with his eyes zeroed in on her leg. With a large finger, he poked right where the bullet had broken through her skin.

It felt like she was shot all over again. "DON'T DO THAT!" she screamed and slapped away his giant green finger. He snarled and rose to his feet. Saniya wasn't sure whether he was going to Hulk-SMASH her or back off. And based on the conflicted expression on his face, he wasn't so sure what he was going to do either.

Her voice came out unnaturally steady. "That really hurt," she told him. "They shot me. I know it doesn't look like they did, but believe me, it feels like it."

"Hulk shot at too," he said gruffly. His toothy smile sent shivers up her spine. He looked completely pleased with himself. "Hulk smashed bad men."

As she noticed his bloodstained hands, she came to the realization that she could _never_ tell Bruce what exactly had happened. He had been devastated after he had "gone green" in front of her that one night in Stark Tower. She didn't want to find out how he would react to actually killing people.

"I see that." She cleared her throat.

In the distance, sirens were growing louder and louder. The Hulk bared his teeth and dropped into a defensive stance. Saniya knew the same fate would come to the cops as the mercenaries if she didn't step in.

"We need to leave."

He shook his head like he had water in his ear. "Hulk–"

"Hulk leave with Saniya!" she said firmly. The tone of her voice was enough to make him stop for just a moment. She forced herself onto her knees. Saniya stretched out her arms. "Help me up, big guy. We're leaving." When he didn't move, she glared at him. "Now!"

Nobody bossed around the Hulk. But, apparently, she wasn't nobody.

He picked her up and cradled her to his chest. It wasn't in the Hulk's nature to be gentle –his fingers were forming new bruises and he was holding her way too tight– but it was obvious he was making an effort.

Hulk stared off at the road where the police cruisers would eventually come from. His muscles tensed. Saniya swore that he was going to drop her and take out his frustrations on them. Instead, he ran in the opposite direction.

She wasn't sure where he was going, but she wasn't about to question a giant green muscleman. The sirens drifted off until they could no longer hear them. Now that they weren't at risk of being arrested –and in the Hulk's case, attacked again– she felt herself relax.

He looked down at her with Bruce's same soft brown eyes. "Hulk and Sani hide together?"

"Yep, Big Guy. Hulk and Sani hide until puny Bruce comes back." She elbowed his chest, hoping that he got the hint.

Apparently, he was no happy with _that_. "Hulk hate puny Bruce!"

"Well, Sani likes puny Bruce."

His mouth curled into a soft snarl. His footsteps became more aggressive. The Hulk was no longer walking, but now stomping. "Puny Bruce useless."

Saniya felt her muscles tense. The longer they waited, the further away Pepper was going to be. She needed Bruce to find her. With every second they waste, Pepper would be harder to find.

"Puny Bruce is not useless," she argued. He raised his eyebrows in a way that could only be described as disbelief. "I _need_ him."

"Hulk help," he said, completely sure of himself.

She jabbed her finger into the green muscle. He probably didn't even feel it. "Puny Bruce can help me too." She was struck by the mild weirdness of how she kept referring to Bruce as puny. "I need him to find Pepper!"

"Hulk find pretty lady with Sani," he said roughly.

It was the tone of his voice that made her close her mouth tightly. It was a warning that if she dared argue with him, he would be nothing short of angry. And the last thing she wanted was the green rage monster to be angry.

She let herself rest back on his large arms. Besides, her head throbbed too much to get into an argument. It would be the waiting game. Eventually, Bruce had to come back. "Okay, whatever you say."

That seemed to be all he needed to hear when he shot off down the road looking for Pepper.


End file.
